UNIVERSITY   OF   CALIFORNIA 

COLLEGE   OF   AGRICULTURE 

AGRICULTURAL    EXPERIMENT   STATION 

BERKELEY,  CALIFORNIA 


THE  MAT  BEAN 
PHASEOLUS  ACONITIFOLIUS 

P.  B.  KENNEDY  and  B.  A.  MADSON 


BULLETIN  396 

November,  1925 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  PRINTING  OFFICE 

BERKELEY,  CALIFORNIA 

1925 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  California,  Davis  Libraries 


http://www.archive.org/details/matbeanphaseolus396kenn 


THE  MAT  BEAN* 

(Phaseolus  aconitifolius) 

P.  B.  KENNEDY  and  B.  A.  MADSONt 


INTRODUCTION 

Several  years  ago  our  attention  was  called  to  the  need  of  a  summer 
legume  which  would  combine  several  qualities  not  found  in  any  one 
of  the  legumes  in  general  use  at  that  time.  In  some  vineyards  and 
orchards,  there  was  need  for  a  leguminous  green  manure  crop  which, 
by  protecting  the  soil  from  the  hot  sun,  would  prevent  the  burning 
out  of  organic  matter  and  yet  leave  the  irrigation  furrows  visible  and 
accessible.  On  unirrigated  grain  lands,  moreover,  there  was  a  need 
for  a  drought  tolerant  legume,  which  would  provide  pasture  and 
improve  the  soil,  and  which  could  be  rotated  with  grain. 

The  mat  bean,  a  plant  growing  in  the  rod-row  trial  garden  of  the 
Division  of  Agronomy  at  the  branch  experiment  station  at  Kearney 
Park,  seemed  to  fill  both  of  these  needs.  Its  creeping  habit  and  low 
growth  made  it  promising  as  a  cover  and  green  manure  crop  which 
would  not  interfere  with  the  irrigation  and  harvesting  of  the  fruit 
crops.  It  seemed  promising  as  a  pasture  crop  because  of  its  drought 
tolerance  and  the  fact,  determined  during  the  investigations,  that 
livestock  graze  on  its  foliage  and  pods  with  avidity. 

In  India,  the  green  pods  are  eaten  as  a  vegetable  and  the  tiny 
beans,  about  the  size  of  rice  grains,  are  also  used  to  a  considerable 
extent  for  human  food.  These  beans,  being  small  and  high  in  protein, 
are  especially  suitable  for  poultry. 

HISTORY  AND  ORIGIN 

The  mat  bean  is  to  be  found  in  its  wild  state  in  India  from  Ceylon 
to  the  Himalayas,  a  distance  of  some  1500  miles,  ascending  the  hills 
to  an  elevation  of  4000  feet,  especially  in  the  northwest.    De  Candolle1 


*  The  writers  desire  to  express  their  appreciation  to  Messrs.  J.  A.  Denny, 
V.  H.  Maghetti,  and  L.  Beaty,  foremen  of  the  branch  field  experiment  stations  at 
Kearney  Park,  Davis,  and  Meloland  respectively,  for  their  interest  in  conducting 
the  field  trials  with  the  mat  bean.  We  are  also  indebted  to  Mr.  Harold  Goss, 
junior  chemist  in  the  Agricultural  Experiment  Station,  for  some  of  the  analyses. 

t  Div.  of  Agronomy. 


4  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT    STATION 

states  that  the  absence  of  a  Sanskrit  name  for  it  and  the  different 
names  applied  to  it  in  modern  Indian  languages  indicate  that  it  has 
been  brought  into  cultivation  in  comparatively  recent  times.  In  the 
Bombay  Presidency  it  is  known  as  mat  or  matki.  The  Sikhs  call  it 
moth,  pronounced  more  like  mote,  and  the  Hindustani  name  is  mout. 
Ghosh  uses  the  name  bringhi.  Other  Indian  names  are  math,  ban- 
munga,  kheri,  bir  mung,  mattikalai,  tulka,  kuncuma-pesalu.  As  there 
are  more  than  one  hundred  dialects  in  India  and  the  plant  is  cul- 
tivated over  an  extensive  area  no  doubt  the  vernacular  names  are 
very  numerous.  German  works  (Harz6)  call  it  "Die  eisenhutblatterige 
Bohne, "  meaning  the  bean  with  leaves  like  those  of  aconite.  The 
name  ' '  moth, ' '  one  of  the  Indian  synonyms,  has  nothing  to  do  with  the 
English  word,  moth,  either  in  meaning  or  pronunciation.  The  "th" 
represents  a  sound  unknown  to  English.  We  have  adopted  the  name 
' '  Mat, ' '  used  in  the  Bombay  Presidency,  because  of  its  appropriateness 
in  the  English  language  to  represent  the  habit  of  the  plant  of  forming 
a  mat  on  the  ground. 

That  the  mat  bean  is  a  well  established  commercial  crop  in  India 
may  be  gathered  from  a  few  instances  where  the  acreage  grown  has 
been  recorded.  Mollison11  gives  the  acreage  as  300,000  for  Bombay; 
Duthie  and  Fuller4  give  211,000  for  the  North-Western  Provinces  and 
Ouhd.  In  the  United  Provinces,  together  with  urd,  mung  and  cow- 
peas  it  occupied  1,062,783  acres  in  the  season  of  1904-05.  Mollison11 
states  that  this  legume  is  fourth  in  importance  in  India  and  that  it  is 
grown  to  a  considerable  extent  in  all  the  districts  except  the  Konkan. 

The  classification  of  agricultural  crops  in  the  Agricultural  Statis- 
tics of  India  is  too  general  to  supply  exact  data  in  regard  to  the  acre- 
age growing  any  particular  bean,  but  it  is  evident,  that  several 
million  acres  are  annually  devoted  to  the  mat  bean  alone  and  in  mix- 
tures with  other  crops,  especially  millets  and  sorghums. 

Piper  and  Morse12  mention  that  eight  lots  of  mat  bean  seed  were 
obtained  from  India  by  the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture. 
The  first  introduction  appears  to  be  Seed  and  Plant  Introduction  No. 
8539  received  on  April  1,  1902,  from  Poona,  India,  accompanied 
by  the  following  note  from  the  Department  Agricultural  Explorer, 
Dr.  S.  A.  Knapp :  "Math."  This  legume  is  grown  in  the  Deccan  and 
the  Gujarat  as  a  'Kharif, '  or  rain  crop,  sown  only  in  the  rainy  season. 
It  does  well  on  light,  stony,  upland  soil  with  an  average  rainfall  of 
30  inches." 

The  origin  of  our  mat  bean  as  grown  in  California  is  Seed  and 
Plant  Introduction  No.  21600,  grown  at  the  Agricultural  Station  at 
Dhulia,  and  sent  from  Poona,  Bombay,  India,  by  Mr.  P.  Fletcher, 


Bull.  396] 


THE    MAT    BEAN 


Deputy  Director  of  Agriculture.  It  was  received  at  Washington, 
D.  C,  on  November  26,  1907.  This  introduction  represents  mainly 
a  yellow  seeded  variety  but  a  considerable  number  of  seeds  of  a 
black  mottled  variety  may  be  observed  on  careful  examination. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  PLANT 

The  mat  bean  is  an  annual,  summer  legume  creeping  and  trailing 
over  the  ground  from  branches  arising  from  a  central  stem  (see  fig.  1). 
The  main  stem  is  erect  and  short   (about  6  to  8  inches  in  height) 


Fig.   1. — Three  mat  bean  plants  "matted"  together  covering  an  area   of  about 
twenty  square  feet  of  ground.     University  Farm,  Davis. 

from  which  are  produced  horizontal  branches  (see  fig.  2)  that  radiate 
to  a  distance  of  from  two  to  five  feet,  according  to  conditions.  All 
parts  of  the  plant  are  sparsely  covered  with  hairs  which  are  at  first 
white  but  soon  turn  a  rusty  brown.  The  hairs  on  the  pods  are  very 
short  and  stiff. 

By  its  leaves  the  mat  bean  can  be  distinguished  from  all  other 
cultivated  beans.  They  consist  of  three  leaflets  (see  fig.  3),  each 
divided  into  from  three  to  five  pointed  lobes.  They  resemble  the 
leaves  of  the  aconite  plant  and  hence  the  name  aconite-leaved  kidney 
bean,  sometimes  applied  to  the  mat  bean. 


b  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT    STATION 

The  leaf  stalks  (petioles)  are  at  first  longer  than  the  flower  stalks 
(peduncles)  but  as  the  season  advances  the  reverse  is  generally  true. 
Usually  there  is  only  one  flower  stalk  arising  from  the  axil  of  each 
leaf  but  this  stalk  may  occasionally  develop  two  or  three  branches. 
The  length  of  the  flower  stalk  varies  from  1%  to  3  inches  and  is 
terminated  by  from  1  to  6  small  (%-in,)  bright  yellow  flowers.  From 
these  may  develop  from  1  to  6  pods  (usually  three). 

The  pods  (see  fig.  3)  are  of  a  rusty  brown  color  when  mature, 
from  1  to  2  inches  long  and  about  y10  of  an  inch  wide.  The  number 
of  seeds  to  a  pod  is  from  4  to  9,  the  most  frequent  number  being  six. 
Our  plants  of  No.  21600  produce  tan-colored  seeds  (see  fig  3)  mixed 


Fig.  2. — A  trailing  branch  of  a  mature  mat  bean  plant.     Kearney  Park,  Agronomy 
Field  Station.     November  7,  1922. 

with  many  black-mottled  seeds  of  a  different  variety.  They  are  small 
and  cylindrical,  probably  the  smallest  of  the  kidney  beans,  as  they 
are  only  about  %  °f  an  incn  lorig  and  less  than  %  of  an  inch  wide. 
The  scar  or  hilum  is  white,  less  than  %G  of  an  inch  long,  and  usually 
centrally  or  laterally  placed.  The  seed  weighs  65  pounds  to  the 
bushel. 

The  black  mottled  variety,  according  to  Ghosh,  has  slightly  larger 
seeds  and  gives  a  heavier  yield  of  forage  than  the  yellow  seeded 
variety.  This  indicates  that  it  would  probably  be  advantageous  to 
establish  the  black  mottled  variety.  In  India  the  yellow  and  mottled 
strains  are  not  usually  separated  commercially.  We  have  separated 
the  two  types  of  seed  found  in  No.  21600  and  are  growing  them 
separately  this  season.  As  the  flowers  are  normally  self  fertile  it 
should  not  be  a  difficult  matter  to  establish  any  particular  strain 
desired. 


Bull.  396 


THE    MAT    BEAN 


-rjC 


Fig.  3. — A  single  leaf  with  its  three  lobed  leaflets.     Seed  pods  and  seeds. 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


BOTANICAL  DESCRIPTION 

Phaseolus  aconitifolius.  Plant  annual,  main  stem  suffrutescent,  short  (about 
one  foot),  erect,  with  primary,  secondary  and  tertiary  horizontal  trailing  branches. 
Primary  branches  (fig.  2)  about  twelve,  2-5  feet  long,  secondary  about  twenty- 
five,  2  feet  long,  and  about  twelve  tertiary  ones  about  1  foot  in  length.  All  parts 
of  the  plant  covered  with  whitish  hairs  which  turn  a  rusty  brown  with  age. 
Stem  and  branches  angular  and  flexuose.  Internodes  of  main  stem  short  (0.5-1.0 
inches)  with  those  of  the  branches  longer  (1-3  inches) .  Leaves  alternate,  3-f  oliolate, 
about  2.5  inches  long,  the  central  terminal  leaflet  slightly  larger  than  the 
two  lateral  ones.  Terminal  leaflet  usually  divided  into  5  acuminate  lobes, 
lateral  leaflets  4  lobed.  Petioles  canaliculate,  2-4  inches  long.  Stipules  peltate 
with  oblong-lanceolate  to  linear-lanceolate  lobes,  0.5  inch  long '  and  0.1  inch 
wide.  Stipels  at  base  of  leaflets,  subulate,  about  .2  inch  long.  Inflorescence 
arising  from  the  axil  of  each  leaf  at  an  angle  of  about  60  degrees  with  the  stem 
in  the  form  of  a  long-peduncled  capitate  raceme  of  several  small  yellow  flowers. 
Peduncles,  longer  or  shorter  than  the  petioles  depending  on  the  stage  of  growth 
of  the  plant:  only  one  peduncle  from  each  leaf  axil,  but  occasionally  appearing 
as  three  by  the  branching  of  the  main  peduncle.  Length  of  peduncles  2-4 
inches.  Flower  bracts  and  bracteoles  small,  subulate,  caducous:  Eachis  very 
short  (.3-7  inch  long),  glandular,  pedicels  about  .1  inch  long.  Flowers  yellow 
(.3  inch  long  and  .2  inch  broad),  calyx-tube,  .1  inch  long,  calyx-teeth  5,  the  two 
upper  short  and  broad,  the  three  lower  narrower  and  acuminate;  vexillum 
(standard),  pale  yellow  reniform,  broadly  emarginate  at  the  apex,  minutely 
pubescent,  ventricosely  downward  pointed  forming  a  hood ;  wings  bright  yellow, 
left  one  spirally  coiled  around  the  keel,  right  one  slightly  twisted  enclosing  the 
keel;  Iceel  twisted;  style,  twisted,  stigma  flat,  bearded  on  the  lower  side,  ovary 
minutely  hirsutulous.  Stamens  10,  nine  forming  a  sheath  and  one  free.  Mature 
legume  (pod),  (fig.  3)  small,  1-2  inches  long  and  .2  inch  wide  and  .1  inch  thick, 
with  short  curved  beak  and  covered  with  short  stiff  bristles,  buff  to  yellowish 
brown,  4-9  seeded.  Seeds  (fig.  3)  small,  .2  inch  long  and  .1  wide,  cylindrical, 
somewhat  reniform,  rounded  or  truncate  at  the  ends.  Color  of  seeds  in  ours 
(No.  21600)  a  light  tan  with  a  pinkish  tinge.  In  other  strains  the  seed  may  vary 
from  dull  yellow  to  brown  or  black  mottled.  Hilum  linear  white,  less  than  .1 
inch  long. 

RELATED  SPECIES 

Five  additional  oriental  beans12  that  might  be  considered  as  similar  in  their 
climatic  and  soil  requirements  are,  the  adsuki  bean  (Phaseolus  angularis),  the 
rice  bean  (Phaseolus  calcaratus),  the  mung  bean  (Phaseolus  aureus),  the  urd 
(Phaseolus  mungo),  and  the  meth  bean  (Phaseolus  ricciardianus) .  All  of  these 
except  the  last  mentioned,  the  meth  bean,  have  been  grown  for  a  number  of  years 
in  our  experimental  gardens.  We  have  been  unable  to  find  any  record  of  the 
meth  bean  having  been  introduced  into  the  United  States,  although  it  is  said  to 
be  grown  extensively  in  high  alluvial  lands  adjoining  rivers  and  in  the  partially 
shaded  lands  of  orchards  in  some  parts  of  India.  It  is  generally  sown  in  mix- 
tures with  sorghum  or  maize  at  the  time  of  hoeing  these  crops.  The  chief  use 
made  of  it  is  as  green  fodder.  When  the  seeds  are  used  for  human  consumption 
they  are  reported  to  be  very  heating  and  to  cause  indigestion.  When  sown  alone 
its  habit  of  growth  is  very  similar  to  that  of  the  mat  bean,  having  a  short 
erect  main  stem,  from  which  arise  laterally,  extensively  creeping  vines.  When 
stakes  or  an  erect  crop  like  maize  or  sorghum  is  provided  the  vines  reach  a 
considerable  height  by  twining. 

The  adsuki  bean  is  the  favorite  bean  in  Japan  and  commands  a  higher  price 
than  any  other  bean.  Generally  speaking  it  is  to  be  compared  with  the  bush 
varieties  of  our  common  bean  (Phaseolus  vulgaris),  both  as  to  climatic  require- 
ments and  uses.  According  to  Piper  and  Morse12  the  adsuki  bean  has  a  wide 
range  of  usefulness,  being  exceedingly  popular  as  food  among  the  Japanese  and 
Koreans.     They  are  used  as  bean  meal  in  soups  and  gruels  and  for  cakes  and 


Bull.  396]  THE  MAT  BEAN  9 

confections  in  a  manner  similar  to  pop-corn,  as  a  coffee  substitute ;  and  the 
flour  for  shampoos  and  facial  cream.  In  texture  the  meal  is  superior  to  that 
of  any  other  bean  and  the  flavor  is  very  delicate.  The  green  pods  have  a  tendency 
to  become  fibrous  and  are  not  desirable  as  snap-beans.  There  are  numerous 
varieties,  differing  mainly  in  the  time  they  take  to  mature  and  the  color  of 
the  seeds.  From  the  results  of  the  experiments  with  adsuki  beans  in  the  rod 
row  trials  we  were  not  encouraged  to  make  larger  plantings  as  a  number  of 
other  summer  legumes  make  better  crops  for  green  manure  or  forage.  However 
they  made  an  excellent  stand  and  a  heavy  growth,  24  to  26  inches  in  height, 
and  as  they  are  good  seed  producers  it  is  quite  likely  that  they  may  become 
important  beans  for  human  consumption. 

The  rice  bean  is  cultivated  to  a  limited  extent  in  Japan,  China,  India  and 
the  Philippines. 

It  is  an  annual  plant,  half  twining  in  habit,  growing  about  two  feet  high 
with  spreading  vines  from  3  to  6  feet  long  and  bright  yellow  flowers.  With  us 
it  has  proven  very  late  and  a  poor  seed  yielder.  The  pods  split  and  shatter  the 
seed  as  soon  as  ripe.  We  have  not  found  it  sufficiently  promising  to  extend  the 
trials  beyond  the  rod  rows. 

The  mung  bean8  is  one  of  well-known  oriental  beans  which  has  been  cultivated 
in  India  from  very  early  times,  the  seeds  being  used  for  human  food  and  the 
straw  as  forage  for  cattle.  It  is  not  uncommon  to  find  mung  beans  in  the  United 
States  in  Chinese  restaurants.  The  favorite  method  of  utilizing  them  is  by 
sprouting  the  seeds  in  the  same  manner  as  we  do  oats  for  poultry.  These  sprouts 
resemble  vermicelli  and  are  cooked  in  various  ways. 

The  plant  resembles  our  common  bush  types  of  garden  or  field  beans  but  gen- 
erally with  smaller  leaves.  It  grows  erect  with  many  branches  and  may  reach  a 
height  of  four  feet.  We  have  had  no  difficulty  in  growing  it  as  a  summer  legume 
but  it  enters  into  direct  competition  both  as  a  forage  and  as  a  green  manure 
with  the  cowpea.  It  has  an  advantage  over  the  cowpea  in  that,  the  seeds  being 
much  smaller,  the  rate  of  seeding  is  much  less,  about  four  pounds  per  acre.  Their 
small  size,  much  smaller  than  garden  peas,  make  them  more  desirable  for  pigeons 
or  poultry. 

We  have  grown  a  number  of  different  strains  and  find  a  great  variation  in 
the  time  of  maturity,  those  which  we  designate  as  Hasting 's  mung  and  Kearney 
mung  being  our  most  promising  strains. 

The  urd  is  similar  to  the  mung  and  is  used  quite  extensively  in  India.  The 
growth  is  shorter  than  the  mung  and  the  yield  of  herbage  much  less.  We  have 
not  experimented  with  it  outside  of  the  rod  row  trial  garden  as  it  did  not  give 
promise  for  forage,  cover  crop  or  seed  over  other  legumes. 


ADAPTATION 

Climatic  Requirements. — The  mat  bean  is  a  tropical  plant  and  does 
best  in  regions  having-  a  high  uniform  temperature  during  the  grow- 
ing season.  During  the  seasons  1923  and  1924  it  has  grown  very 
satisfactorily  at  the  three  experiment  stations;  i.e.,  Meloland,  Imperial 
Valley;  Kearney  Park,  Fresno  (see  fig.  6)  ;  University  Farm,  Davis. 
At  Davis,  however,  the  growth  has  been  slower  than  at  the  other  two 
stations  and  the  plants  require  the  full  growing  season  to  reach  matur- 
ity. This  apparently  was  due  to  the  lower  temperature  which  pre- 
vails at  Davis.  These  results  would  indicate  that  the  crop  is  well 
adapted  to  the  warmer  sections  of  the  interior  valleys,  and  perhaps 
to  the  whole  of  southern  California,  but  that  it  would  not  do  so  well 
in  the  coastal  valleys,  nor  in  sections  where  the  growing  season  is  short, 


10  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

or  the  temperature  lower.  In  fact,  it  appears  to  be  adapted  to  the 
same  general  climatic  conditions  as  the  cowpea,  preferring  if  anything, 
a  little  more  heat. 

In  the  Imperial  Valley  it  has  not  set  seed  as  prolifically  as  at 
Kearney  Park,  or  Davis,  which  may  be  due  to  the  excessively  high 
temperature  at  the  former  station  during  the  blooming  period.  We 
know  that  fruiting  of  our  common  species  of  Phaseolus  is  affected 
adversely  by  high  temperature,  and  it  is  possible  that  the  mat  bean 
is  similarly  affected,  only  to  a  less  degree.  At  any  rate,  it  has  pro- 
duced seed  abundantly  at  both  Kearney  Park  and  at  Davis, 

The  mat  bean  is  reported  to  be  quite  tolerant  of  drought,  but 
unfortunately  our  knowledge  on  this  point  is  still  rather  limited. 
Based  on  observations  made  in  northern  Texas,  Piper13  states:  "So 
far  as  can  be  ascertained  in  limited  experience  with  it,  it  is  somewhat 
more  drought-resistant  than  the  cowpea,"  Our  experience  to  date 
would  indicate  that  the  mat  bean  is  as  drought  tolerant  as  the  cowpea. 

At  the  Kearney  Park  station  in  1923,  when  grown  on  loam  soil, 
the  growth  and  yield  on  the  unirrigated  plot  was  just  as  good  as  on 
the  plots  which  received  two  irrigations  during  the  growing  season. 
At  the  same  station  in  1924,  the  mat  bean  with  a  number  of  other 
legumes,  was  planted  on  poor  sandy  soil,  of  such  low  water  holding 
capacity,  that  satisfactory  growth  with  any  crop  can  be  obtained  only 
when  frequent  irrigation  is  provided  during  the  growing  season.  The 
tract  was  irrigated  some  time  before  planting,  but  when  the  crop  was 
put  in,  the  seed  bed  was  so  dry  that  a  poor  stand  was  obtained.  The 
mat  beans  which  did  appear,  however,  made  a  fair  growth  and  at  the 
time  they  were  plowed  under  in  September  were  in  a  normal,  healthy, 
thrifty  condition,  while  the  other  legumes,  including  the  cowpea, 
were  either  dead  or  badly  stunted  by  drought.  Our  experience  at 
Davis,  in  1924,  was  similar.  Owing  to  the  absence  of  spring  rain,  the 
seed  bed  dried  out  to  such  an  extent  that  it  was  necessary  to  plant 
extremely  deep,  resulting  in  many  of  the  plants  dying  before  reaching 
the  surface.  The  plants  which  came  through,  however,  and  estab- 
lished themselves  did  not  seem  to  be  hampered  in  their  growth  because 
of  drought.  On  unirrigated  land,  getting  the  crop  started  appears 
to  be  the  most  difficult  problem.  The  seeds  are  small  and  cannot  be 
planted  very  deep,  and  in  the  absence  of  spring  rains  it  is  difficult  to 
hold  the  moisture  near  enough  to  the  surface  to  germinate  the  seed 
and  get  a  good  stand. 

Soil  Requirements. — According  to  Ghosh,5  in  India,  "the  plant 
thrives  on  all  upland  soils,  either  light  sandy  loams  or  heavy  clay 
loams,  without  any  application  of  manures. ' '  In  this  state  it  has  made  a 


BULL.  396]  THE    MAT   BEAN  11 

good  growth  on  the  ' '  hard  land ' '  at  the  Imperial  Valley  station,  on  the 
silt  loam  at  Davis,  and  on  the  heavy  loam  soils  at  Kearney  Park  (see 
fig.  6).  Near  the  last  station,  a  fair  growth  has  been  obtained  on  very 
poor  sandy  soil  even  under  adverse  conditions.  It  is  safe  to  say 
that  it  can  be  grown  on  any  good  agricultural  soil,  provided  the  seed 
bed  is  well  prepared  and  the  climate  favorable. 

CULTURE 

The  methods  of  preparing  the  land,  and  the  cultivation  required  in 
the  production  of  the  mat  bean,  will  obviously  vary  with  the  locality, 
seasonal  conditions,  the  character  of  the  soil,  and  whether  it  is  grown 
on  dry  land  or  with  irrigation.  The  purpose  for  which  the  crop  is 
grown  will  also  influence  to  some  extent  the  cultural  methods  em- 
ployed. In  common  with  other  bean  crops,  the  mat  bean  will  respond 
to  good  treatment.  Good  physical  condition  of  the  soil  and  a  well- 
prepared  seed  bed  are  more  important  than  high  fertility. 

Preparation  of  the  Seed  Bed. — Since  the  seed  of  the  mat  bean 
is  small  and  cannot  be  planted  very  deep,  a  good  seed  bed  is  par- 
ticularly important  in  order  to  get  prompt  germination  and  a  good 
stand.  The  most  desirable  seed  bed  is  one  in  which  the  soil  to  a  depth 
of  several  inches  is  firm,  but  friable,  and  moist,  with  a  shallow  rather 
well  pulverized  mulch  on  the  surface.  To  secure  such  a  seed  bed, 
the  best  procedure  is  to  plow  the  land  rather  deep  in  the  fall  or  early 
winter,  and  leave  it  exposed  in  the  rough  to  the  winter  rains.  Then 
in  the  spring  it  should  be  cultivated  sufficiently  with  surface  tillage 
implements  to  keep  down  the  weeds  and  maintain  the  mulch.  Spring 
plowing  is  never  as  desirable  as  winter  plowing  and  is  particularly  to 
be  avoided  when  the  crop  is  to  be  grown  without  irrigation.  Land 
which  is  plowed  after  most  of  the  winter  rains  are  over,  usually 
remains  loose  and  open,  dries  out  rapidly  or  becomes  so  rough  and 
lumpy  that  a  good  seed  bed  cannot  be  prepared.  These  difficulties  are 
ordinarily  more  pronounced  if  the  soil  is  heavy  than  on  the  light  sand 
or  sandy  loam  soils,  which  are  more  friable  and  easier  to  work.  There 
will  be,  of  course,  many  situations  when  spring  plowing  is  absolutely 
necessary,  but  it  should  always  be  as  shallow  as  conditions  will  permit, 
and  the  plow  should  be  followed  immediately  with  surface  tillage 
implements  to  repack  the  soil  and  fine  the  surface. 

When  the  mat  bean  is  to  follow  a  winter  annual,  late  spring  plant- 
ing must  ordinarily  be  resorted  to,  and  in  most  cases  also  it  is  neces- 
sary to  irrigate  before  plowing,  in  order  to  put  the  soil  in  condition  to 
work  properly.     Even  though  the  land  is  worked  down  as  soon  as 


12 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


plowed,  it  frequently  happens  that  the  soil  will  dry  out  to  the  full 
depth  of  plowing.  In  such  cases  it  may  be  necessary  to  give  the 
land  a  second  light  irrigation,  and  then  rework  the  seed  bed  and  plant 
the  crop  as  soon  as  possible. 

Time  of  Seeding. — The  mat  bean  is  a  warm  weather  plant  and 
should  not  be  planted  until  the  soil  and  atmosphere  are  quite  warm. 
The  seed  is  quite  soft  and  if  planted  in  a  soil  that  is  cold  and  uncon- 
genial it  rots  easily.  Furthermore,  the  plants  which  develop  under 
such  conditions  are  stunted  in  their  growth  and  never  attain  the  vigor 
of  those  which  have  germinated  under  more  favorable  circumstances 
and  maintained  a  rapid  growth  from  the  start. 

Germination  tests  at  different  temperatures,  carried  on  by  Mr. 
Harold  T.  Pence,  a  senior  student  in  the  College  of  Agriculture, 
showed  under  laboratory  conditions,  that  the  mat  bean  seed  germinates 
quite  readily  at  temperatures  as  low  as  20° C.  (68°F.)  but  that  the 
rate  of  germination  and  the  rate  of  elongation  of  the  germ  was  much 
slower  than  at  the  more  favorable  temperature  of  27° C.  (80.6°F.). 
At  the  lower  temperature,  the  sprouts  were  only  a  few  millimeters  in 
length  or  just  breaking  through  the  seed  coat  at  the  end  of  forty 
hours ;  while  at  the  higher  temperature  they  had  attained  an  average 
length  of  25  millimeters  in  the  same  period  of  time.  When  the  rate 
of  germination  is  reduced  by  low  temperatures,  more  time  is  required 
for  the  shoots  to  reach  the  surface  of  the  ground  and  most  of  the 
reserve  food  material  in  the  seed  will  be  used  up  before  the  seedlings 
become  established.  To  secure  some  information,  based  on  actual 
practice,  on  the  optimum  time  of  planting,  a  date-of -planting  test 
was  conducted  at  Kearney  Park  Station  in  1923.  In  this  test,  plant- 
ings were  made  at  intervals  of  approximately  two  weeks  from  April 
23rd  to  July  6th.    The  results  of  this  test  are  given  in  table  1. 

TABLE  1 

Date  of  Planting  Test,  Kearney  Park,  1923 


Date  planted 

Estimated  stand 

Yield  of  green  matter 
per  acre 

Yield  of  seed  per  acre 

April  23 

Per  cent 

45 
25 
25 
35 
50 
90 

Tons 

26.62 
20.37 
13.73 
9.19 
12.22 
13.19 

Pounds 

1647 

May  3  

1647 

May  15      

1173 

June  2            

969 

June  15                 

650 

July  6                     

280 

Bull.  396]  THE   MAT   BEAN  13 

While  the  stand  was  quite  variable,  primarily  because  of  varia- 
tions in  the  moisture  content  of  the  seed  bed,  the  results  obtained  were 
striking.  Much  the  higher  yields  of  green  matter  were  obtained  from 
the  earlier  plantings,  the  decrease  in  the  later  plantings  being  marked 
though  not  uniform. 

The  variation  in  yield  of  the  last  four  plantings  may  be  due  in 
part  to  the  variation  in  stand,  but  it  should  be  noted  that  the  May  15 
planting,  with  only  25  per  cent  of  a  stand,  produced  a  higher  yield  of 
green  matter  per  acre  than  did  the  July  6th  planting  with  almost 
a  perfect  stand. 

The  yield  of  seed  was  the  same  for  the  first  two  plantings,  but 
declined  uniformly  and  rapidly  thereafter,  only  about  one-sixth  as 
much  seed  being  produced  by  the  July  6th  planting,  as  by  the  plant- 
ing made  on  May  3rd.  Here  again,  it  is  possible  that  the  variation  in 
stand  may  have  influenced  the  results  somewhat,  since  it  has  been 
observed  that  when  the  stand  is  heavy  and  the  plants  crowded,  the 
tendency  to  produce  seed  is  much  reduced.  In  this  test,  however,  the 
differences  are  too  great  and  too  uniform  to  be  accounted  for  on  this 
basis.  Furthermore,  other  observations  have  shown,  that  the  highest 
yield  of  seed  will  invariably  be  obtained,  if  the  crop  is  planted  as 
early  as  conditions  will  permit.  A  similar  test  was  undertaken  at  the 
University  Farm,  at  Davis,  in  1924,  four  plantings  being  made  at 
intervals  of  two  weeks,  beginning  May  1st.  Unfortunately  the  growth 
of  the  various  plots  was  seriously  vitiated,  by  an  adjoining  row  of 
trees,  so  that  no  yield  data  was  obtained.  Nevertheless,  some  import- 
ant observations  on  the  effect  of  time  of  planting,  on  stand  and  growth, 
were  made.  It  was  observed  that  the  time  required  for  emergence  of 
the  plants  was  longer,  and  the  ultimate  stand  poorer,  on  the  plantings 
made  May  1st  and  May  15th,  than  on  the  plantings  made  June  1st 
and  June  15th. 

Since  in  1924,  the  spring  was  rather  cold  and  backward,  these 
observations  do  not  mean  that  it  was  unsafe  to  plant  the  crop  until 
June  1st,  but  rather  emphasize  the  fact  that  it  is  difficult  to  get  a 
good  stand  unless  planting  is  delayed  until  the  soil  has  warmed  up 
thoroughly.  On  the  other  hand,  the  last  planting,  on  June  15th,  made 
less  growth  than  the  earlier  planting  and  failed  to  mature  before  the 
advent  of  fall  rains. 

The  experimental  results  clearly  show  that  while  it  is  not  advisable 
or  desirable  to  attempt  to  plant  until  conditions  are  favorable,  yet  the 
crop  should  be  put  in  as  early  as  conditions  will  permit,  in  order  to 
secure  the  maximum  vegetative  growth  or  maximum  yield  of  seed. 


14  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

Obviously  the  best  time  to  plant  will  vary  with  the  locality  and  to 
some  extent  with  the  season.  In  the  Sacramento  and  San  Joaquin 
Valley,  the  optimum  time  is  from  the  latter  part  of  April  to  the 
middle  of  May,  while  in  the  warm  sections,  such  as  the  Imperial  Val- 
ley, plantings  may  be  done  somewhat  earlier.  A  good  guide  to  follow 
is  to  plant  ten  days  to  two  weeks  after  the  optimum  date  for  planting 
such  a  crop  as  Milo  maize  or  Egyptian  corn,  or  a  little  later  than  one 
would  naturally  plant  cowpeas. 

Method  and  Bate  of  Seeding. — Under  normal  conditions,  it  is 
better  to  plant  mat  beans  in  rows  like  common  beans,  although  they 
may  be  seeded  in  a  close  drill  like  grain.  The  early  growth  of  the 
plants  is  rather  slow,  and  on  land  that  is  weedy,  the  weeds  may  choke 
out  much  of  the  crop  before  it  becomes  established,  unless  the  crop 
is  planted  so  that  some  cultivation,  if  necessary,  can  be  given.  The 
close  drilled  method  should  be  used  only  on  good  clean  land  and  when 
the  crop  is  to  be  used  for  forage  or  for  soil  improvement  purposes.  It 
appears  doubtful,  however,  if  the  yield  would  normally  be  any  greater 
than  from  properly  spaced  rows.  Broadcasting  is  not  recommended, 
as  the  surface  of  the  soil  is  usually  dry  at  the  time  the  crop  is  planted, 
making  it  impossible  to  work  the  seed  into  the  moist  soil,  with  the 
result  that  the  stand  will  be  thin  and  much  of  the  seed  wasted. 

When  seeded  in  rows  the  distances  between  the  rows  will  vary 
with  the  soil  or  the  moisture  supply.  On  poor  soil,  the  growth  of  the 
individual  plants  will  not  be  so  large,  and  the  rows  should  be  closer 
together  than  on  good  soil,  where  a  normal  growth  will  be  made.  With 
a  small  amount  of  moisture  more  space  may  be  necessary  than  when 
the  moisture  is  abundant. 

In  1923  a  number  of  plots  were  planted  at  Kearney  Park  Station 
in  which  the  rows  were  spaced  at  distances  varying  from  24  inches  to 
48  inches  apart.  At  the  period  of  maximum  growth  a  portion  of  each 
plot  was  cut  and  weighed  green,  while  the  remainder  of  the  plot  was 
allowed  to  mature  its  seed. 

The  results  of  this  test  are  given  in  table  2 : 

TABLE  2 

Spacing  Test  with  Mat  Bean,  Kearney  Park,  1923 


Distance  between  rows 

Green  matter  per  acre 

Yield  of  seed  per  acre 

Inches 

Tons 

Pounds 

24 

17.91 

2077 

30 

20.81 

2614 

36 

17.91 

2384 

42 

11.85 

1619 

48 

16.37 

1557 

BULL.  396]  THE    MAT    BEAN  15 

The  greatest  tonnage  of  green  material,  as  well  as  the  highest 
yield  of  seed,  was  obtained  from  the  30-inch  spacing,  and  subsequent 
experience  would  indicate  that  this  is  about  the  optimum  distance 
for  normal  conditions.  Because  of  our  lack  of  experience  with  the 
crop  at  the  time  the  test  was  started,  the  rate  of  seeding  was  too 
light,  so  that  the  stand  in  the  rows  was  too  thin.  It  appears  probable 
that  with  a  heavier  stand  in  the  rows,  the  yield  of  green  material  from 
the  wider  spacing  would  have  been  better  as  compared  with  the  nar- 
row spacing.     On  the  poor  sandy  soil  previously  mentioned,  it  has 


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Fig.  4. — Planter  equipped  with  shovels  or  crowders  to  open  furrows  through 

the  dry  soil. 

been  found  necessary  to  space  the  rows  more  than  24  to  27  inches 
apart  in  order  to  get  the  plants  to  cover  the  ground  completely.  The 
purpose  for  which  the  crop  is  grown  may  also  influence  the  spacing, 
or  even  the  method  of  seeding.  If  the  crop  is  to  be  cut  for  hay  it 
should  be  planted  with  rows  close  together  or  even  in  close  drills,  as 
the  growth  will  be  more  erect  and  easier  to  handle  with  the  ordinary 
mowing  machinery.  On  the  other  hand,  for  pasture  or  cover  crop 
purposes  and  particularly  for  seed,  ample  space  for  normal  develop- 
ment of  the  plants  should  be  provided. 

For  planting  the  crop  a  corn  or  bean  planter  (see  fig.  4),  equipped 
with  plates  or  sprockets  for  handling  the  small  seed  is  most  satisfac- 
tory. The  grain  drill  may  also  be  used,  by  stopping  up  enough  of  the 
holes  to  give  proper  spacing.  Unless  the  seed  bed  is  even  and  the 
mulch  shallow,  it  is  not  as  satisfactory  as  the  other  implements. 


16  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

Owing  to  the  small  size  of  the  seed  and  the  fact  that  it  is  easily 
affected  by  adverse  temperature  and  moisture  conditions,  the  mat 
bean  cannot  be  planted  very  deep.  One  and  one-half  to  two  inches  is 
the  best  depth  for  average  conditions.  If  planted  deeper  than  this 
much  of  the  seed  is  apt  to  rot  or  the  tender  seedlings  will  be  unable  to 
push  their  way  to  the  surface.  It  is,  of  course,  necessary  to  plant 
deep  enough  to  put  the  seed  in  moist  soil,  but  every  effort  should  be 
made  to  so  prepare  the  seed  bed,  that  proper  moisture  conditions  may 
be  afforded  at  the  depth  mentioned.  On  unirrigated  land,  and  in  the 
absence  of  late  spring  rains,  it  is  often  difficult  to  hold  the  moisture 
as  near  the  surface  as  desired.  Frequently  the  soil  dries  out  to  a 
depth  of  three  or  four  inches  in  spite  of  anything  that  may  be  done 
to  prevent  it.  In  such  an  emergency  we  have  found  that  the  best 
procedure  in  planting  not  only  the  mat  bean,  but  also  other  small 
seeded  crops,  is  to  place  shovels  or  crowders  (see  fig.  4)  in  front 
of  the  planter  shoe,  which  will  push  the  dry  soil  aside,  leaving  a 
shallow  trench  almost  down  to  moisture.  The  seed  which  is  planted 
in  the  bottom  of  the  trench,  is  thus  placed  in  moist  soil,  yet  may  be 
only  a  short  distance  below  the  surface.  This  method  is  similar  to 
listing,  except  that  the  furrows  are  smaller  and  shallower.  The  regu- 
lar lister  may  also  be  used,  in  extreme  cases,  but  it  leaves  the  field 
so  rough  and  uneven,  that  it  is  not  recommended,  except  when  other 
methods  fail. 

Bate  of  Seeding. — The  amount  of  seed  required  to  plant  an  acre 
depends  mainly  upon  the  method  of  seeding,  whether  in  rows  or  in 
close  drills,  but  is  also  influenced  by  other  conditions.  From  limited 
experience  with  the  crop  in  the  Great  Plains,  Piper  recommends  a 
rate  from  5  to  6  pounds  to  the  acre,  when  planted  in  rows  three  feet 
apart.  In  India,  where  the  crop  is  grown  extensively,  the  usual  rate 
of  seeding  is  reported  to  be  6  to  8  pounds  to  the  acre.  In  most  of  our 
experiments  with  the  crop  in  1923  and  1924  a  rate  of  3%  to  4  pounds 
per  acre  has  been  used  when  planted  in  rows  2%  to  3  feet  apart. 
It  has  been  evident,  however,  that  for  maximum  tonnage,  this  rate  of 
seeding  is  too  light  for  any  but  the  most  favorable  conditions.  For 
seed  production,  on  the  other  hand,  the  rate  used  appears  to  be  about 
optimum. 

When  the  crop  is  grown  for  forage  or  for  cover  crop  purposes,  6  to 
8  pounds  of  seed  should  be  planted  in  order  to  secure  a  good  stand. 
However,  if  the  seed  bed  is  in  good  condition,  4  to  5  pounds  will  be 
sufficient.  When  seeded  in  close  drills,  25  to  30  pounds  is  required  to 
plant  an  acre. 


Bull.  396]  TTIE  MAT  BEAN  17 

The  seed  of  the  mat  bean  is  rather  small,  approximately  19,000 
seeds  to  a  pound.  Seeded  at  the  rate  of  5  pounds  per  acre,  in  rows 
21/2  feet  apart,  the  average  distance  between  the  seed  in  the  rows  will 
be  about  one  inch.  This  seems  unnecessarily  close  for  a  plant  like  the 
mat  bean  that  makes  so  large  a  growth  from  a  single  seed.  It  must  be 
remembered,  however,  that  the  seeds  are  soft  and  readily  affected 
by  adverse  conditions,  while  the  seedlings  likewise  are  tender  and 
easily  destroyed,  so  that  even  under  the  most  favorable  conditions  it 
is  probable  that  rarely  more  than  half  of  the  possible  stand  survives. 
Under  average  or  normal  conditions,  the  proportion  is  probably  much 
less. 

While  the  rate  of  planting  is  dependent  mainly  upon  the  spacing 
and  method  used,  the  time  of  planting  and  the  condition  of  the  seed 
are  not  without  their  influence.  For  early  planting  a  heavy  rate  of 
seeding  should  be  employed,  as  a  larger  proportion  of  the  seed  and 
seedlings  will  succumb  to  cold  soil  conditions.  If  the  seed  bed  is  in 
poor  condition,  more  seed  will  be  necessary  to  get  a  satisfactory  stand 
than  if  the  seed  bed  is  good. 

Care  of  the  Crop. — The  purpose  for  which  the  crop  is  grown,  and 
whether  or  not  it  is  to  be  irrigated  will  determine  in  a  measure  the 
cultural  treatments  necessary  during  the  period  of  growth.  When 
grown  as  a  dry  land  crop,  little  or  no  cultivation  should  be  necessary, 
provided  the  field  is  free  from  weeds  and  the  seed  bed  in  good  condi- 
tion. In  case  the  seed  bed  is  loose  and  open,  it  will  be  found  advisable 
to  go  over  the  field  with  a  corrugated  roller  immediately  after  planting 
in  order  to  place  the  seed  in  more  intimate  contact  with  the  soil  par- 
ticles. This  will  hasten  germination  and  improve  the  stand.  The 
roller,  however,  should  not  be  used  if  the  soil  is  wet. 

After  the  plants  appear  above  the  ground  some  cultivation  may 
be  necessary,  especially  if  the  field  is  very  weedy.  During  the  early 
stages,  the  growth  of  the  mat  bean  is  rather  slow,  and  a  heavy  growth 
of  weeds  will  lessen  the  stand  or  retard  the  development  of  the  plants. 
Keeping  the  field  free  from  weeds  is  particularly  important  if  the 
crop  is  grown  for  seed  or  for  hay.  On  the  other  hand,  if  grown  for 
green  manure  or  for  pasture,  as  little  cultivation  should  be  given  as 
is  compatible  with  the  normal  development  of  the  plants  in  order  to 
reduce  the  cost  of  production  to  the  minimum.  In  any  event  it  is 
easier  and  cheaper  to  clean  and  rid  the  field  of  weeds  before  the  crop 
is  put  in  than  to  do  so  after  it  is  up. 

Irrigation. — Although  the  mat  bean  appears  to  be  fully  as  tolerant 
of  drought  as  any  legume  thus  far  tested,  some  irrigation  will  be 
usually  beneficial  or  necessary,  especially  in  sections  where  the  annual 


18  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

precipitation  is  light.  The  time  of  irrigation  and  the  amount  of  water 
to  apply  will  vary  with  conditions  and  must  be  determined  by  the 
farmer  himself. 

The  most  critical  period,  as  far  as  moisture  is  concerned,  is  from 
the  time  of  planting  until  the  plants  are  a  month  or  six  weeks  old. 
Not  that  the  plants  require  any  more  water  at  this  period,  but  unless 
the  moisture  relations  are  favorable,  poor  germination  and  a  high 
mortality  of  the  seedlings  are  apt  to  result.  If  the  seed  bed  is  dry 
to  a  considerable  depth  or  if  the  moisture  content  of  the  soil  is  low, 
the  land  should  be  irrigated  before  the  seed  bed  is  prepared.  Irriga- 
tion at  this  time  will  greatly  facilitate  planting,  give  a  better  stand, 
and  maintain  normal  development  of  the  seedlings  until  they  become 
well  established.  Should  irrigation  be  necessary  soon  after  the  plants 
come  up,  the  water  should  be  applied  carefully.  Otherwise  many  of 
the  young  plants  may  be  scalded  out  or  the  soil  may  crust  so  badly, 
that  the  growth  will  be  severely  checked.  Later  when  the  plants 
have  attained  some  size  there  is  little  or  no  danger  of  injury  by  irri- 
gation. In  fact,  the  dense  mat  of  vines  produced,  so  effectually  shade 
the  ground,  that  they  greatly  retard  evaporation  and  prevent  crusting 
of  the  soil. 

The  method  of  applying  the  water  will  be  influenced  mostly  by  the 
stage  of  growth  and  the  purpose  for  which  the  crop  is  grown.  When 
it  is  grown  in  orchards  and  vineyards  as  a  green  manure  crop,  the 
furrow  system  of  irrigation  will  be  found  most  satisfactory,  because 
by  this  system  the  water  can  be  applied  more  efficiently.  When  the 
bean  starts  to  develop,  the  furrows  must  be  left  open,  as  cultivation 
will  injure  the  young  plants.  The  runners,  however,  will  ultimately 
cover  the  furrows  completely,  checking  evaporation  and  rendering 
cultivation  unnecessary.  While  it  is  true  that  such  a  dense  growth 
will  check  the  flow  of  water  through  the  furrows  somewhat,  this  effect 
is  not  serious. 

When  the  mat  bean  is  grown  for  hay  or  seed,  on  the  other  hand, 
the  flooding  method  should  be  employed,  especially  during  the  latter 
half  of  the  period  of  growth.  The  open  furrows  would  leave  the  field 
so  rough  and  uneven  that  serious  difficulty  might  be  experienced  in 
attempting  to  harvest  the  crop. 

HANDLING  AND  USE 

The  Mat  Bean  as  a  Cover  Crop  in  Orchards  and  Vineyards. — It 
appears  likely  that  the  greatest  immediate  use  of  the  mat  bean  will  be 
as  a  summer  cover  crop  in  orchards  and  vineyards.  Until  recently  most 


Bull.  396] 


THE    MAT    BEAN 


19 


orchardists  and  vineyardists  have  been  averse  to  using  a  summer  cover 
crop,  believing  that  any  competition  with  the  trees  or  vines  could  only 
be  harmful.  This  attitude,  however,  is  changing.  More  and  more 
are  growers  coming  to  appreciate  the  fact  that  the  beneficial  effect  of 
a  leguminous  crop  more  than  outweighs  the  added  draft  which  it  may 
make  upon  the  soil  moisture  or  plant  nutrients. 

Some  interesting  observations  on  the  effect  of  legumes  in  orchards 
have  been  obtained  during  the  recent  dry  years.  In  some  sections 
it  was  observed  that  orchards  which  were  kept  under  clean  cultivation 


Fig.  5. — A  rod  row  showing  the  creeping  habit  of  mat  beans.     University  Farm, 
Davis,  Calif.,  Aug.  30,  1924. 

suffered  severely  and  were  badly  damaged  by  predatory  insects, 
especially  red  spider,  while  orchards  intercropped  with  alfalfa  or 
other  legumes,  showed  little  or  no  injury  and  were  much  less  severely 
attacked  by  insects.  The  reason  that  the  intercropped  orchards  suf- 
fered less  may  be  attributed  to  the  fact  that  the  large  roots  of  the 
legumes,  opened  up  the  soil  and  allowed  the  irrigation  water  to  pene- 
trate to  a  greater  depth.  Many  soils  when  kept  clean  cultivated  be- 
come so  hard  and  compact  below  the  cultivated  area,  that  irrigation 
water  penetrates  only  with  great  difficulty,  so  that  tree  roots  may 
receive  insufficient  moisture  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  water  is  applied 
copiously  to  the  surface.  In  addition,  the  cover  crop  protects  the 
soil  from  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun,  reduces  evaporation  and  prevents 


20  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

crusting  and  baking-.  It  is  also  probable,  although  this  has  not  been 
verified,  that  nitrification  is  more  rapid  in  a  soil  thus  protected,  than 
in  one  exposed  to  the  direct  action  of  the  sun  and  quickly  dried  out. 
Again  the  cover  crop  reduces  radiation  from  the  soil,  which  together 
with  the  high  rate  of  transpiration  from  the  leaves  causes  a  lowering 
of  the  temperature  in  the  orchard,  and  thus  protects  the  trees  from 
extreme  heat.  In  addition  to  this  effect,  the  use  of  leguminous  cover 
crops  is  the  only  practicable  means  of  supplying  the  large  amount  of 
nitrogenous  organic  matter  necessary  to  maintain  the  supply  of  humus 
and  keep  the  soil  in  good  tilth. 

As  a  cover  crop  for  vineyards  the  mat  bean  appears  to  possess 
special  merit,  since  it  overcomes  many  objections  usually  voiced  against 
the  use  of  the  more  common  summer  legumes,  such  as  cowpeas  and 
soybeans.  The  principal  objection  to  such  legumes  is  that,  because 
of  their  tall  or  viny  growth,  they  produce  too  much  shade,  interfere 
with  the  development  of  the  vines,  and  the  maturity  of  the  fruit, 
and  also  that  they  greatly  add  to  the  difficulty  of  harvesting  the  grape 
crop.  The  mat  bean,  however,  because  of  its  low  dense,  prostrate 
growth  and  non-twining  habit,  does  not  shade  and  interfere  with  the 
growth  of  the  vines  or  the  development  of  the  fruit.  It  is,  in  fact, 
a  cover  crop  in  the  true  sense  of  the  word,  forming  a  dense  vegetative 
cover,  which  seldom  attains  a  height  of  more  than  12  to  14  inches, 
so  that  it  does  not  interfere  with  the  growth  of  the  vines  nor  does  it 
seriously  hamper  the  harvesting  of  the  crop. 

In  addition  to  improving  the  physical  and  biological  condition  of 
the  soil,  the  use  of  a  summer  cover  crop,  such  as  the  mat  bean,  may 
exert  another  beneficial  effect,  especially  upon  the  light  sandy  soil 
on  which  many  of  the  vineyards  are  located.  On  such  soil  the  intense 
radiation  of  heat  may  cause  the  vines  to  sunburn  severely.  A  good 
vegetative  cover  is  reported  in  many  cases  to  greatly  reduce  or  even 
entirely  prevent  such  injury.  The  coloring  of  the  grapes  is  also  said 
to  be  improved  in  many  sections  by  maintaining  a  soil  cover. 

As  stated  previously,  when  grown  in  orchards  and  vineyards,  it 
will  be  found  more  economical,  as  well  as  more  satisfactory  generally, 
to  grow  the  mat  bean  in  rows  rather  than  broadcast  or  in  close  drills. 
The  irrigation  furrows  can  then  be  run  between  the  rows  and  the  water 
applied  without  interference.  For  the  best  results,  however,  the  rows 
should  be  close  enough  together,  so  that  the  runners  will  completely 
cover  the  intervening  space.  Cultivation  after  irrigation  would,  of 
course,  have  to  cease  when  the  runners  cover  the  ground,  but  the  vege- 
tative cover  will  serve  just  as  effectively  in  checking  evaporation, 
and  preventing  baking  of  the  soil,  so  that  cultivation  is  unnecessary. 


Bull.  396] 


THE    MAT    BEAN 


21 


It  has,  in  fact,  frequently  been  observed,  that  after  irrigation  the 
surface  of  the  soil  under  the  plants  will  remain  moist  almost  indefi- 
nitely. 

The  mat  bean  may  be  plowed  under  or  worked  into  the  soil  at  any 
time  that  suits  the  convenience  of  the  grower,  but  the  largest  amount 
of  vegetative  matter  will  be  obtained  only  if  the  crop  is  allowed  to 
grow  until  it  practically  reaches  maturity.  For  most  sections  this  will 
usually  be  about  the  middle  to  the  latter  part  of  September,  and  will 
be  indicated  by  a  yellowing  of  the  lower  leaves,  or  approaching  matur- 
ity of  the  seed  pods. 

The  actual  amount  of  material  which  will  be  available  to  turn  under 
will,  of  course,  vary  with  conditions,  but  in  general  it  may  be  said, 
that  in  those  sections  to  which  the  mat  bean  is  adapted,  the 
yield  will  compare  favorably  with  that  of  any  of  the  more  common 
summer  legumes.  A  rather  extensive  test  was  made  at  the  Kearney 
Park  Station,  in  1923,  in  which  the  mat  bean  was  grown  in  compari- 
son with  some  varieties  of  cowpeas  and  soybeans,  both  with  and 
without  irrigation.  All  the  legumes  were  planted  in  rows  three 
feet  apart  and  otherwise  treated  as  nearly  alike  as  possible.  The 
results  are  given  in  table  3. 

TABLE   3 

Yield  of  Green   Matter  Per  Acre,  of  Mat  Bean,  Cowpeas,  and  Soybeans, 

Kearney   Park,   1923 


Yield  of  green  matter,  tons  per  acre 

Legume 

With  irrigation 

Without  irrigation 

Mat  bean 

17.91 
13.55 

24.3 

Cream  cowpea 

22.3 

Victor  cowpea                                 

22  3 

Columbia  cowpea  ...        

22.5 

Otoo  Tan  soybean 

15.49 

Wilson  Five  soybean 

14.7 

Virginia  soybean                      

15  5 

In  both  cases  the  mat  bean  produced  a  heavier  tonnage  than  any 
of  the  other  legumes.  All  legumes  produced  a  higher  yield  on  the 
unirrigated  than  on  the  irrigated  plots,  which  was  doubtless  partly 
due  to  the  fact  that  the  seed  bed  was  in  better  condition  and  a  better 
stand  was  obtained.  The  treatment  of  the  land  may  also  have  in- 
fluenced the  growth  and  yield. 


22  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

In  other  tests,  yields  of  from  10  tons  to  more  than  26  tons  have 
been  obtained,  depending  upon  the  stand,  method  of  planting,  and 
other  factors.  The  yield  which  might  be  obtained  by  the  grower  will 
obviously  vary  with  local  conditions,  but  any  good  agricultural  soil 
should  produce  at  least  15  to  20  tons,  and  under  good  conditions  even 
more.  Analyses  have  shown  that,  at  the  stage  of  maximum  growth, 
about  one-fifth  of  the  green  weight  is  dry  matter,  so  that  the  turning 
under  of  a  15  to  20-ton  crop  would  add  to  the  soil  3  to  4  tons  of 
organic  matter.  In  addition,  of  course,  a  considerable  quantity  of 
organic  matter  is  supplied  by  the  roots,  and  this  is  especially  import- 
ant, since  it  is  distributed  through  a  large  volume  of  soil  and  aids 
materially  in  keeping  the  soil  open  and  receptive  of  moisture. 

The  addition  of  organic  matter  to  the  soil  in  the  form  of  cover 
crops  is  particularly  advantageous,  since  it  is  succulent,  decays  quickly, 
and  if  high  in  nitrogen,  as  is  the  mat  bean,  has  an  immediate  stimulat- 
ing effect  on  nitrification,  rather  than  a  depressing  effect  as  is  usually 
the  case  when  highly  carbonaceus  material  is  added.  Analysis  by  Goss 
shows  that  the  vegetative  portion  of  the  plant  (leaves  and  stems)  con- 
tain on  an  average  2.72  per  cent  nitrogen.  In  other  words,  a  15  and 
20-ton  crop  would  add  respectively  163  and  217  pounds  of  nitrogen 
to  the  soil  in  a  form  which  will  quickly  become  available  to  the  crop. 

Since  the  mat  bean  makes  a  very  dense  mat  of  fine,  leafy  vines, 
some  difficulty  may  be  experienced  in  plowing  it  under,  unless  it  is  first 
thoroughly  chopped  up.  The  growth  should  first  be  gone  over  a  couple 
of  times  with  a  sharp  disc,  after  which  it  can  be  plowed  under  without 
difficulty.  Disking  has  the  further  advantage  that  it  enables  the 
organic  matter  to  be  more  thoroughly  incorporated  with  the  soil,  in 
which  condition  it  will  decay  more  quickly. 

The  Use  of  the  Mat  Bean  on  Fallow. — As  the  mat  bean  is  tolerant 
of  drought  it  may  find  considerable  use  as  a  soil  improvement  crop,  or 
better  still,  as  a  combination  soil  improvement  and  forage  crop  on  a 
considerable  acreage  of  land,  which  is  now  handled  annually  as  fallow. 
It  is  generally  recognized  that  fallowing  has  many  undesirable  fea- 
tures, and  that  it  would  be  far  better  if  some  rotation  crop  could  be 
found  which  would  return  some  revenue  to  the  farmer  and  help  keep 
the  soil  in  a  productive  condition.  As  yet,  however,  such  crops  have 
not  been  available.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  frequent  fallowing  rapidly 
reduces  the  organic  matter  content  of  the  soil,  and  destroys  its  physical 
condition,  it  has  so  far  been  the  only  practical  means  of  keeping  the 
land  free  from  weeds  and  diseases  and  maintaining  productivity  on 
the  vast  areas  of  unirrigated  land,  a  large  portion  of  which  is  cropped 
to  grain.   Winter  cover  crops  have  been  used  to  a  limited  extent,  and 


Bull.  396]  THE  MAT  BEAN  23 

while  the  yield  of  grain  is  usually  higher  following  a  good  cover  crop, 
than  after  the  fallow,  the  cost  of  producing  the  cover  crop  is  rather 
high,  and,  in  most  cases,  the  returns  have  not  justified  the  added  labor 
and  expense.  As  yet,  summer  legumes  have  been  used  in  the  place 
of  fallow  to  a  limited  extent  only,  but  the  results  from  such  a  practice 
have  invariably  shown  that  grain  following  a  crop  such  as  beans  will 
do  better  than  after  bare  fallow. 

This  has  been  the  experience  even  for  sections  where  the  rainfall 
is  comparatively  light.  The  exact  cause  of  the  beneficial  action  has 
not  yet  been  determined.  It  is  probable,  however,  that  part  of  the 
benefit  is  due  to  the  large  deep  penetrating  root,  which  tends  to  open 
up  the  soil  and  thus  improve  its  physical  condition.  In  addition,  the 
roots  and  refuse  left  from  the  legumes,  which  are  rich  in  nitrogen, 
supply  a  considerable  quantity  of  material  readily  acted  upon  by  the 
nitrifying  organism,  thus  increasing  the  available  nitrogen  in  the 
soil.  The  nitrogen  gathering  bacteria  on  the  roots  of  the  legumes 
further  add  to  this  supply,  to  the  benefit  of  the  following  cereal  crop. 
The  shading  of  the  soil  by  the  vegetative  cover  must  tend  to  reduce 
oxidation  and  evaporation  and  thus  help  maintain  the  soil  in  better 
condition  for  the  succeeding  crop.  Only  a  few  varieties  of  our  com- 
mon beans,  however,  are  adapted  to  use  on  fallow,  and  most  of  these 
are  used  principally  for  human  consumption.  It  is  very  unlikely 
therefore  that  these  varieties  will  be  planted  on  any  considerable  acre- 
age of  fallow,  as  a  great  increase  in  production  would  soon  glut  the 
market  and  render  the  product  valueless.  What  is  needed  is  a  crop 
which  has  a  wider  and  more  general  use.  Of  all  the  legumes  thus  far 
tried,  the  mat  bean  comes  nearest  to  meeting  this  condition,  since  it 
makes  an  excellent  forage  at  all  stages  of  growth,  and  may  be 
used  either  for  pasture  or  hay.  In  the  type  of  farming  where  the 
fallow  is  ordinarily  employed,  it  will  probably  be  of  greatest  value 
if  used  as  a  pasture  crop.  Planted  on  fallow,  the  latter  part  of  Apri] 
or  early  in  May,  the  crop  would  have  attained  its  maximum  growth 
and  be  ready  to  feed  off  in  the  early  fall,  when  the  flocks  and  herds 
are  being  returned  from  the  ranges  and  at  a  time  when  feed  is  in  great 
demand.  It  would  provide  a  valuable  supplement  to  the  dry  stubble 
pasture  usually  relied  upon  to  carry  the  stock  through  the  trying 
fall  period,  and  the  grower  should  have  little  difficulty  in  disposing 
of  the  growth  at  a  profit.  The  mat  bean  can  also  be  cut  for  hay  to 
be  used  as  feed  later  in  the  season ;  but,  as  far  as  the  benefit  to  the 
land  is  concerned  and  the  effect  on  the  succeeding  crop,  pasturing 
will  probably  be  the  more  beneficial.  Used  in  either  manner,  it  would 
be  a  distinct  and  valuable  addition  to  the  agriculture  of  the  unirri- 


24  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

gated  region,  since  it  would  add  a  small  profit  and,  at  the  same  time, 
increase  the  yields  of  grain  bj  its  beneficial  effect  on  the  soil. 

After  the  legume  has  been  pastured  off  or  removed  as  hay,  a  thor- 
ough disking  is  all  that  is  necessary  to  prepare  the  land  for  grain. 

In  growing  mat  bean  on  unirrigated  land  it  is  particularly  import- 
ant that  the  field  be  free  from  weeds  and  that  the  seed  bed  be  well 
prepared.  The  corn  or  bean  planter  fitted  with  the  proper  plates, 
is  the  best  implement  for  planting  the  crop,  which  should  be  drilled 
in  rows  2y2  to  3  feet  apart,  using  6  to  7  pounds  of  seed  per  acre.  Since 
it  cannot  safely  be  planted  in  most  sections  until  about  the  first  of 
May,  at  which  time  the  soil  may  be  dry  to  a  depth  of  several  inches, 
a  furrow  opener  should  be  placed  in  front  of  the  planter  shoe,  so 
that  the  seed  will  be  placed  in  moist  soil  without  being  covered  too 
deep.  Even  in  the  absence  of  late  spring  rains,  it  will  usually  be 
possible  to  get  a  good  stand  by  this  method.  One  or  two  cultivations 
to  keep  the  weeds  in  check,  given  while  the  plants  are  small,  may  in 
many  instances  be  found  advantageous,  but  with  a  clean  field  and  a 
well  prepared  seed  bed,  even  this  should  be  unnecessary. 

USE  OF  THE  MAT  BEAN  FOE  FOE  AGE 

Use  as  Pasture. — As  a  forage  crop,  the  mat  bean  will  probably 
find  its  greatest  use  as  a  fall  pasture,  because  it  is  at  its  best  at  a 
period  when  feed  is  usually  scarce  and  in  great  demand.  Compared 
with  other  more  common  legumes,  such  as  the  cowpea  and  the  soy- 
bean, the  mat  bean  has  several  advantages  as  a  forage  crop.  It  is 
very  tolerant  of  drought,  and  when  once  established  will  continue 
to  grow  even  under  very  trying  conditions.  It  also  has  a  rather  in- 
determinate period  of  growth,  the  vines  and  leaves  remaining  green 
even  after  most  of  the  seed  is  ripe,  until  checked  by  cold  weather. 
Furthermore,  it  is  very  palatable  and  is  apparently  relished  by  all 
'classes  of  livestock,  while  some  of  our  other  legumes,  such  as  sweet 
clover  and  cowpeas,  are  not  readily  eaten  in  the  green  state. 

The  amount  of  pasturage  which  a  given  area  will  provide,  will,  of 
course  depend  upon  the  stand  and  growth  which  is  obtained.  To  secure 
some  information  as  to  the  pasture  value  of  the  mat  bean,  a  one-tenth 
acre  plot  was  pastured  to  sheep  at  the  Davis  Station  in  the  fall  of 
1924.  Six  lambs  weighing  from  75  to  90  pounds  each,  were  placed  on 
the  plot  and  remained  for  a  period  of  five  days,  From  the  start  they 
consumed  the  new  feed  greedily.  On  the  fifth  day  a  rain  occurred, 
and  the  lambs  were  removed  to  prevent  tramping  and  puddling  of  the 
soil.    At  this  time  they  had  consumed  the  larger  part  of  the  vegetation 


Bull.  396] 


THE    MAT    BEAN 


25 


but  sufficient  feed  still  remained  on  the  plot  to  have  sustained  the 
small  flock  for  at  least  two  days  more.  This  plot  was  planted  the 
middle  of  June,  and  the  growth  was  not  as  large  as  would  have  been 
obtained  from  an  earlier  planting,  but  was  about  what  could  normally 
be  expected  under  average  conditions  in  the  Sacramento  and  San 
Joaquin  Valleys.  On  the  basis  of  this  test,  one  acre  would  provide 
sufficient  feed  to  sustain  six  sheep  for  a  period  of  about  two  months. 
As  emphasized  in  the  previous  section,  if  grown  upon  even  a  por- 
tion of  the  vast  areas  which  are  fallowed  annually,  it  will  not  only 
increase  the  production  of  the  land,  but  will  provide  a  large  amount 


Fig.   6. — A   carpet   of  mat  bean  plants,  Kearney  Park,   Calif, 
the  background.     September,  1923. 


Mung  beans   in 


of  feed  which  can  be  used  to  advantage  as  pasture  for  livestock 
returning  from  the  range.  In  many  seasons  the  fall  is  a  trying  period. 
Because  of  a  shortage  of  feed,  stock  often  lose  much  of  the  weight 
that  they  had  made  on  the  range  during  the  summer.  This  loss  could 
be  prevented  in  large  measure  by  crops  of  this  character.  Further- 
more, if  a  permanent  and  profitable  type  of  agriculture  is  to  be  main- 
tained upon  much  of  our  unirrigated  land,  a  more  diversified  type 
of  farming  must  be  developed,  and  annual  legumes  of  high  forage 
value,  such  as  the  mat  bean,  will,  without  question,  play  an  important 
part  in  such  development. 

While  the  mat  bean  as  a  pasture  crop  finds  its  greatest  use  on 
unirrigated  land,  it  may  also  be  used  to  advantage  on  the  more  diver- 
sified irrigated  farms  as  an  emergency  pasture  or  as  a  supplement  to 
alfalfa,  in  case  the  latter  is  inadequate  to  meet  the  needs  for  both 


26  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

hay  and  pasture.  Since  it  is  an  annual  and  can  be  worked  into  almost 
any  rotation,  it  may  be  used  as  the  need  for  more  feed  arises.  It  can 
be  used  as  a  second  crop  to  follow  grain,  hay,  or  any  other  winter 
growing-  annual.  Used  as  a  component  part  of  the  cropping  scheme, 
it  will  materially  increase  the  annual  production  of  high  quality  for- 
age, and  thus  enable  the  farmer  to  maintain  upon  a  given  area  more 
livestock  than  would  otherwise  be  possible. 

When  the  mat  bean  is  used  for  pasture  the  method  of  planting  may 
be  varied  according  to  local  conditions,  and  the  grower  will  soon  learn 
which  method  of  planting  to  employ  in  order  to  get  the  best  results 
in  his  particular  section.  It  may  be  pastured  at  any  stage  of  growth, 
but  the  largest  amount  of  feed  will  be  obtained  if  pasturing  is  delayed 
until  the  plants  have  practically  completed  their  development,  which 
normally  occurs  about  the  first  to  the  middle  of  September.  When 
necessary,  pasturing  may  be  started  as  early  as  the  first  of  August,  but 
in  any  case  it  should  be  as  light  as  possible.  At  this  time,  the  plants 
are  making  their  most  rapid  growth,  and  if  grazed  too  heavily  the 
growth  will  be  checked,  and  the  total  feed  correspondingly  reduced. 

Use  for  Hay. — The  mat  bean  makes  excellent  hay  if  cut  while  the 
plant  is  still  in  a  vigorous  stage  of  growth,  or  about  when  the  first 
pods  are  ripening.  It  has  several  advantages  over  most  other  annual 
legumes,  in  that  the  stems  are  fine  and  the  leaves  do  not  shatter  off 
readily  when  cured.  In  fact,  our  observations  indicate  that  few 
legumes  retain  their  leaves  as  well  in  the  cured  state  as  does  the  mat 
bean.  In  addition,  the  hay  is  relished  by  animals,  and  has  a  feeding 
value  practically  equal  to  alfalfa  hay. 

The  chief  objection  to  the  mat  bean  as  a  hay  crop  is  that,  because  of 
its  prostrate  habit  of  growth,  it  is  rather  difficult  to  mow.  This  diffi- 
culty is  more  pronounced  if  the  stand  is  thin  and  the  rows  wide 
apart,  as  the  vines  then  have  a  tendency  to  lie  close  to  the  ground. 
For  hay  purposes,  therefore,  it  is  better  to  plant  the  rows  closer 
together  or  to  seed  in  close  drills,  as  crowding  the  plants  forces  a  more 
upright  growth,  and  makes  the  hay  easier  to  harvest.  Mowing  can 
also  be  facilitated  by  fitting  the  mower  with  extension  guards  and  a 
special  rod  lifter,  such  as  is  often  used  in  cutting  clover  for  seed. 
This  devise  lifts  the  vines  just  ahead  of  the  sickle,  so  that  most  of 
them  at  least  will  be  cut  off.  After  the  crop  has  been  mowed,  it  should 
remain  in  the  swath  until  the  leaves  are  thoroughly  wilted,  and  then 
raked  into  windrows.  It  should  be  left  in  the  windrows  from  twelve 
to  twenty-four  hours,  and  then  placed  in  small  cocks  to  complete  the 
curing  process.  The  time  required  to  cure  the  hay  will  vary  from  two 
to  four  days,  depending  on  weather  conditions.    Because  of  the  fine- 


Bull.  396] 


THE    MAT   BEAN 


27 


ness  of  the  vines,  however,  the  mat  bean  cures  more  readily  than  the 
coarser  stemmed  legumes,  such  as  cowpeas  or  soybeans.  Curing 
should  continue  until  the  stems  lose  their  toughness  and  become  some- 
what brittle,  at  which  stage  it  may  be  safely  stacked. 

The  yield  of  hay  which  may  be  obtained  will  obviously  depend  on 
a  number  of  different  factors.  The  stand  will  always  have  an  import- 
ant bearing  on  the  yield.  An  early  planted  crop  will  nearly  always 
make  a  larger  growth  and  heavier  yield  than  one  planted  late.  The 
method  of  planting  may  also  influence  the  yield,  but  this  in  turn  will 
vary  with  the  locality.  In  our  experiments  to  date,  vegetative  yields 
have  all  been  determined  on  the  green  basis,  but  from  this  we  can 
readily  calculate  the  approximate  yield  of  hay  which  would  have  been 
obtained.  Analyses  show  that  about  one-fifth  of  the  green  weight  is 
dry  matter,  but  since  the  hay  will  contain  normally  about  15  per 
cent  of  water,  the  yield  of  hay  will  be  about  one-fourth  of  the  green 
weight.  In  our  tests  the  yield  of  green  material  has  varied  from  9 
to  26  tons  per  acre,  which  is  equivalent  to  21/4  to  6I/2  tons  of  hay  or 
slightly  less,  deducting  for  normal  field  losses.  On  an  average,  a  yield 
or  3  to  4  tons  per  acre  can  reasonably  be  expected,  which  compares 
favorably  with  that  obtained  from  other  annual  hay  crops. 

Composition. — Few  analyses  of  the  mat  bean  plant  as  forage  are 
available.  The  only  analyses  at  hand  are,  one  of  the  green  fodder 
reported  by  Ghosh5  from  India,  and  two  on  air-dried  material  from 
crops  grown  at  Davis  in  1924,  one  of  the  latter  by  Harold  Goss  of  the 
Division  of  Nutrition  and  the  other  by  B.  A.  Madson.  These  analyses 
are  given  in  table  4.  For  comparison,  analyses  of  alfalfa,  cowpeas, 
and  soybeans  reported  by  Henry  and  Morrison  are  included. 

TABLE  4 
Composition  of  Mat  Bean,  Alfalfa,  Cowpeas,  and  Soybeans — Whole  Plant 


Moisture 

Protein 

Fat 

Ash 

Crude  fiber 

Per  cent 

Per  cent 

Per  cent 

Per  cent 

Per  cent 

50.00 
8.00 

8.07 
17.00 

8.91 
12.10 

4.25 
19.08 

2.80 

3.82 

16.75 

2.27 

17.28 

14.35 

8.6 

14.9 

2.3 

8.6 

28.3 

9.7 

19.3 

2.6 

11.9 

22.5 

8.6 

16.0 

2.8 

8.6 

24.9 

Nitrogen 
free  extract 


IVJat  bean,  Ghosh... 

Mat  bean,  Goss 

Mat  bean,  Madson 

Alfalfa  hay 

Cowpea  hay 

Soybean  hay 


Per  cent 

28.77 

40.37 

45.53 

37.3 

34.0 

39.1 


In  order  that  a  more  direct  comparison  may  be  obtained,  these 
analyses  calculated  to  a  water-free  basis  are  given  in  table  5. 


28 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA— EXPERIMENT    STATION 


TABLE   5 
Composition  of  Mat  Bean,  Alfalfa,  Cowpeas,  and  Soybeans — Whole  Plant 


Moisture 

Water-free  basis 

Protein 

Fat 

Ash 

Crude  fiber 

Nitrogen- 
free  extract 

Mat  bean,  Ghosh 

Per  cent 

50.00 
8.00 
3.82 
8.60 
9.70 
8.60 

Per  cent 

16.14 
18.47 
17.41 
16.30 
21.37 
17.50 

Per  cent 

Per  cent 

17.82 
13.15 
17.96 

9.40 
13.17 

9.40 

Per  cent 

8.50 
20.74 
15.90 
30. 96 
24.91 
27.24 

Per  cent 

57.54 

Mat  bean,  Goss 

3.04 
2.36 
2.51 

2.88 
3.06 

44.60 

Mat  bean,  Madson 

Alfalfa  hay 

46.37 
40.83 

Cowpea  hay.... 

37.67 

Soybean  hay 

42.80 

Attention  is  called  to  the  fact  that  the  composition  of  the  mat 
bean  compares  favorably  with  that  of  alfalfa  and  other  legumes. 
Its  protein  content  is  approximately  the  same  or  a  little  higher  than 
that  of  alfalfa  and  a,  little  less  than  that  of  cowpeas.  The  ash  content 
is  abnormally  high,  but  in  connection  with  the  analysis  from  India,  it 
was  pointed  out  that  about  one-half  of  the  ash  was  sand  or  silica;  a 
portion  of  which  was  due  to  sand  or  soil  adhering  to  the  plant,  and  the 
same  was  doubtless  true  to  a  greater  or  less  extent  with  the  other 
samples.  On  the  basis  of  composition  it  should  compare  favorably 
with  other  legumes  as  a  forage.  Its  actual  value,  however,  can  be 
determined  only  by  careful  feeding  tests. 


SEED  PEODUCTION 

As  the  mat  bean  is  an  annual,  there  will  be  a  yearly  demand  for 
seed.  There  is  also  the  possibility  that  in  time  the  seed  will  be  in 
demand  for  purposes  other  than  those  discussed.  In  India,  for  ex- 
ample, it  is  used  for  human  food,  as  are  other  beans,  and  is  also  used 
to  some  extent  as  a  feed  for  animals.  The  production  of  good  seed  is 
important  and  should  be  a  profitable  undertaking  in  some  sections. 
It  appears  from  past  experience  that  the  mat  bean  does  not  set  seed  in 
all  sections.  Some  years  ago  when  the  crop  was  first  grown  experi- 
mentally in  Texas,  it  performed  very  satisfactorily  as  a  forage  crop. 
Interest  in  it  waned,  when  it  failed  to  set  seed,  as  it  was  realized  that 
unless  seed  could  be  produced  abundantly  and  cheaply  it  would  hold 
little  value  as  a  forage  crop.  In  our  experiments  with  this  crop  in 
this  state  during  the  past  three  years,  it  has  produced  seed  abundantly, 


Bull.  396] 


THE    MAT    BEAN 


29 


both  at  the  Kearney  Park  Station,  near  Fresno,  and  at  the  University 
Farm  at  Davis.  At  the  Imperial  Valley  Station,  on  the  other  hand, 
the  setting"  of  seed  has  always  been  very  light.  Experience  of  others 
corroborate  ours,  however,  that  in  the  Sacramento  and  San  Joaquin 
valleys,  seed  can  be  produced  both  abundantly  and  cheaply. 

In  some  respects  the  seed  habits  of  the  mat  bean  are  excellent.  Not 
only  does  it  produce  abundantly  under  favorable  conditions,  but  it 
holds  its  seed  well,  shattering  very  little  even  after  it  is  cured  and 
dried.  The  only  difficulty  which  is  apt  to  be  experienced,  is  that  the 
early  fall  rains  may  cause  the  pods  and  seed  to  rot  before  the  crop 
can  be  harvested.    This  difficulty  can  be  avoided  to  a  large  extent  by 


>■,.:  ^  *;.;-'■* 


-Trailers  of  mat  bean  plants  turned  back  to  expose  the  masses  of  pods 
underneath  hidden  by  the  leaves. 


planting  early,  and  by  harvesting  as  soon  as  most  of  the  pods  are  ripe, 
or  as  soon  as  there  is  danger  from  fall  rains.  Growing  the  crop  for 
seed  does  not  differ  materially  in  its  cultural  aspects,  from  growing 
it  for  forage,  except  that  it  should  be  planted  early,  and  the  rows 
should  be  wider  apart  and  the  stand  thin,  to  allow  for  the  full  develop- 
ment of  the  individual  plants.  It  has  been  our  experience  that  the 
highest  yield  of  seed  is  obtained  by  planting  as  early  as  local  conditions 
will  permit. 

Referring  to  table  1,  it  will  be  noted  that  the  highest  yield  of  seed 
was  obtained  from  the  late  April  and  early  May  plantings,  and  there 
was  a  rapid  decrease  in  seed  productivity  with  later  plantings.  The 
plot  planted  July  6  produced  only  one-sixth  as  much  seed  as  the  one 
planted  May  3.  While  the  optimum  time  for  planting  will  vary  slightly 
with  the  season  and  the  locality,  the  best  time  for  most  sections  appears 
to  be  from  the  first  to  the  middle  of  May. 


30  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

In  order  to  get  a  good  seed  crop,  ample  space  for  the  development 
of  the  plants  is  important.  It  will  be  noted  by  referring  to  table  2, 
that  higher  yields  of  seed  were  obtained  when  the  crop  was  planted 
in  rows  30  to  36  inches  apart,  than  when  either  closer  or  wider  spacing 
was  used.  For  average  conditions,  36-inch  spacing  is  probably  the 
safest.  We  have  also  observed  that  a  thick  stand  or  a  crowding  of  the 
plants  in  the  row  tends  to  reduce  seed  setting.  For  this  reason  a 
lighter  rate  of  seeding  should  be  employed  than  when  the  crop  is  grown 
for  green  manure  purposes  or  for  forage.  With  a  good  seed  bed  con- 
dition at  the  time  of  planting,  3  to  4  pounds  per  acre  is  ample,  while 
if  the  conditions  are  not  so  favorable,  a  slightly  heavier  rate  may  be 
employed. 

During  the  growing  season  some  cultivation  should  be  given  to 
keep  down  weeds  and  to  maintain  the  soil  in  good  tilth.  If  water  is 
available,  one  or  two  irrigations  to  stimulate  growth,  may  also  be  found 
advantageous.    Otherwise  no  special  care  or  treatment  is  necessary. 

Harvesting. — The  mat  bean  has  a  rather  indeterminate  period  of 
growth,  and  mature  pods,  green  pods,  and  blossoms  may  be  found  on 
the  plant  at  the  same  time.  For  this  reason,  the  grower  must  use  his 
judgment  as  to  the  best  time  to  harvest.  The  optimum  time  is  when 
most  of  the  pods  are  mature.  It  is  not  safe  to  wait  until  all  the  pods 
are  ripe,  as  there  may  be  some  loss  from  shattering,  and  there  is  always 
the  danger  of  having  the  crop  caught  by  early  rains.  If  a  rain  does 
occur,  the  crop  should  be  cut  as  quickly  as  possible,  and  the  vines 
turned  over  to  expose  the  pods  to  the  sun,  so  that  they  will  dry  out 
as  quickly  as  possible.  If  this  is  not  done  the  loss  from  rotting  will 
be  heavy. 

The  best  implement  for  harvesting  the  seed  crop  is  a  bean  cutter, 
which  shears  off  the  plants  just  below  the  surface  of  the  ground, 
throwing  two  rows  together  in  a  single  windrow.  After  cutting,  the 
beans  may  be  left  in  the  windrow  until  dry  enough  to  thresh,  or  they 
may  be  left  until  thoroughly  wilted  and  placed  in  small  cocks  to 
complete  the  curing  process.  Where  threshing  is  to  be  done  with  a 
stationary  outfit,  the  latter  method  is  to  be  preferred,  as  it  facilitates 
handling. 

Threshing  should  be  done  as  soon  as  the  vines  and  pods  are 
thoroughly  dry.  The  regular  bean  thresher  is  the  best  machine  for 
doing  the  work,  but  a  grain  thresher  can  also  be  used  by  reducing  the 
speed  of  the  cylinder  sufficiently  to  prevent  cracking  of  the  seed. 
When  available,  the  "bean  pickup,"  with  which  the  crop  could  be 
threshed  directly  from  the  windows,  could  be  used  with  advantage,  as 
it  would  greatly  reduce  the  expense  and  labor  of  handling. 


Bull.  396]  THE  MAT  BEAN  31 

After  threshing,  the  seed  should  be  stored  in  a  dry  place  until 
it  is  to  be  planted  or  placed  on  the  market.  Should  any  quantity  of 
trash  or  foreign  material  be  mixed  with  the  seed  in  threshing,  it 
should  be  cleaned  out  as  quickly  as  possible,  as  it  will  tend  to  draw 
moisture,  and  may  cause  the  seed  to  heat  and  spoil. 

Yield  of  Seed. — The  yield  of  seed  that  may  be  obtained  will  vary 
so  greatly  with  the  conditions  of  growth,  that  it  is  hardly  safe,  as  yet, 
to  predict  what  may  be  normal  expectancy  under  average  conditions. 
In  the  experiments  at  the  Kearney  Park  Station,  the  estimated  yield 
has  varied  from  280  pounds  per  acre  to  as  high  as  2614  pounds  per 
acre.  Most  of  the  tests,  however,  have  ranged  from  1100  to  1600 
pounds  per  acre. 

At  the  University  Farm  at  Davis,  in  1924,  four  one-tenth  acre  plots 
were  planted  to  mat  bean  for  seed,  the  yields  from  which  are  given  in 
table  6. 

TABLE  6 
Mat  Bean  Seed  Production,  Davis,  1924 

Yield  per  acre, 
Plot  No.  Lbs. 

D-32  630 

D-34  880 

D-36  650 

D-38  700 

Average   715±38.2 

While  the  yields  were  not  as  high  as  the  average  from  the  Kearney 
Park  station  in  1923,  they,  nevertheless,  were  very  satisfactory,  con- 
sidering the  fact  that  the  crop  was  not  planted  until  June  15th,  which 
experience  has  shown  is  too  late  for  the  best  results. 

Use  and  Composition  of  the  Seed. — As  has  already  been  stated, 
the  principal  use  of  the  seed  in  this  country  will  probably  be  for 
planting  purposes.  While  in  the  orient  it  is  used  in  various  ways  as 
human  food,  it  is  hardly  likely  that  it  will  find  much  demand  for  that 
purpose  here.  The  excess  over  the  amount  needed  for  planting  and 
the  inferior  quality  of  seed  will  doubtless  be  fed  to  livestock.  Unfor- 
tunately, we  have  as  yet  no  information  on  its  feed  value.  On  the 
basis  of  its  composition  given  in  table  7,  it  appears  to  be  good  feed, 
especially  in  small  quantities,  since  it  is  rich  in  proteins  and  carbo- 
hydrates. What  effect  it  may  have  on  animals  if  fed  in  large  quanti- 
ties is  not  known,  and  it  should  be  used  sparingly  until  further  in- 
formation is  available.  The  small  size  of  the  seed  would  lead  one  to 
believe  that  it  might  prove  a  valuable  feed  for  poultry. 


32 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


TABLE  7 
Composition   of  Mat  Bean   Seed 


Moisture 


Protein 


Fat 


Ash 


Crude  fiber 


Nitrogen- 
free  extract 


Average  of  5  foreign 
analyses 

Analysis  by  H.  Goss, 
Mottled  seed 

Analysis  by  H.  Pence, 
Yellow  seed 


Per  cent 

9.62 
10.10 
10.96 


Per  cent 

23.07 
22.63 
23.91 


Per  cent 

.73 

.82 
1.12 


Per  cent 

4.29 
4.10 
3.67 


Per  cent 

4.02 
5.33 


Per  cent 

58.27 
57.02 
60.34(a) 


(a)  Crude  fiber  plus  nitrogen-free  extract. 


ENEMIES   OF   THE   MAT   BEAN 

So  far  the  mat  bean  has  not  been  attacked  to  any  great  extent  by 
serious  diseases  or  insect  pests.  We  have  grown  it  adjacent  to  beans 
and  other  legumes  which  have  been  badly  infested  with  red  spider  and 
thrip,  but  the  mat  bean  has  not  been  attacked  or  injured  by  these 
insects.  The  only  pest  which  has  caused  trouble  is  nematodes.  For 
the  past  two  years,  the  mat  bean  with  other  legumes  has  been  grown 
at  Kearney  Park,  on  a  piece  of  sandy  land,  badly  infested  with  this 
pest,  and  some  damage  has  occurred  each  season.  Some  of  the  plants 
became  stunted  and  turned  yellow,  others  were  completely  killed,  still 
others  showed  no  effect,  although  nematodes  were  present  on  the 
roots.  In  the  same  field  susceptible  varieties  of  cowpeas  were  almost 
completely  destroyed  each  season.  It  would  appear,  therefore,  that 
in  its  resistance  to  this  pest,  it  is  about  intermediate  between  the  ex- 
tremely susceptible  and  the  so-called  resistant  forms  of  legumes. 

The  seed  is  susceptible  to  the  attacks  of  bean  weevil,  as  is  that  of 
other  beans.  Since  the  only  method  of  combating  this  pest  is  to  fumi- 
gate the  seed  in  storage,  the  seed  should  be  examined  occasionally,  and 
if  weevils  are  present  it  should  be  fumigated,  either  with  carbon 
bisulphide  or  cyanide,  at  such  times  and  as  often  as  is  necessary  to 
keep  the  weevil  in  check.  Seed  harvested  in  the  fall  will  seldom 
be  badly  damaged  by  the  next  planting  season,  as  the  insects  do  not 
multiply  rapidly  during  the  cool  weather  of  the  winter.  The  greatest 
damage  usually  occurs  to  seed  held  over  more  than  one  season. 


BULL.  396]  THE   MAT    BEAN  33 


LITERATURE 

»  Candolle,  A.  P.  de 

1886.     Origin  of  cultivated  plants.     345. 

2  Connor,  A.  B. 

1910.     Eeport    of   cooperative    forage    crop    work.      Texas    Agr.    Exp.    Sta. 
Bui.  132:25. 
s  Cooke,  T. 

1903.     Flora  of  the  Presidency  of  Bombay.  1:378-379. 

*  Duthie,  J.  F.  and  Fuller,  J.  B. 

1882.     Field  and  garden  crops  of  the  North-Western  Provinces  and  Ouhd. 
pt.  1,  1-87.    22  pi.    Boorkee,  India, 
s  Ghosh,  A.  C. 

1917.      The  fodder  pulses,  meth,  bhringi  and  mashyem   Kalai.     Bihar  and 
Orissa  Agr.  Jour.  Patna,  India,  5*:  15-47.     14  tab.  5  pis. 
e  Harz,  C.  D. 

1885.     Landwirthschaftliche  Samenkunde.     734. 

7  Kennedy,  P.  B.,  and  Madsen,  B.  A. 

1923.  The  moth  bean.     The  Fruitman,  3i:4. 

s  Kennedy,  P.  B. 

1923.  The  mung  bean — an  improver  of  soils.     The  Fruitman  310:3. 

9  Kelkar,  B.  B.  G.  K. 

1917.     Establishment  and  management  of  the  dairy  farm.     Dept.  of  Agr. 
Bombay,  Bui.  86:46. 

io  Leather,  J.  Walter 

1901.    Indian  food  grains  and  fodders.     The  Agricultural  Ledger. 
1903.     Calcutta.     1901:349;  1903:147. 

11  MOLLISON,  J. 

1901.    Textbook  on  Indian  agriculture.    3:1-283.    Bombay. 

12  Piper,  C.  V.  and  Morse,  W.  J. 

1914.     Five  oriental  species  of  beans.     U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.  Bur.   of  PI.  Ind. 
Bui.  119:      (Professional  paper),  1-32,  7  pi. 
is  Piper,  C.  V. 

1924.  Forage  plants  and  their  culture.     (Kevised  edition),  611-612. 

14  Sornay,  P.  de 

1916.     Green  manures  and  manuring  in  the  tropics.     137-138. 

is  Watt,  George 

1908.     Commercial  products  of  India.     879. 


STATION  PUBLICATIONS  AVAILABLE  FOR  FREE   DISTRIBUTION 


No. 
253. 

261. 

262. 

263. 
268. 
273. 

275. 

276. 
277. 
278. 
279. 
280. 

283. 
285. 
294. 
304. 

310. 
312. 
313. 
319. 
324. 

325. 


328. 
331. 
334. 

335. 

339. 

340. 

343. 
344. 

34  6. 
347. 

348. 
349. 

350. 
352. 

353. 

354. 
357. 


BULLETINS 
No. 

Irrigation    and    Soil   Conditions   in   the  358. 

Sierra  Nevada  Foothills,  California. 

Melaxuma    of    the    Walnut,     "Juglans  359. 

regia."  361. 

Citrus  Diseases  of  Florida  and  Cuba 
Compared  with  Those  of  California.  362. 

Size  Grades  for  Ripe  Olives.  363. 

Growing  and  Grafting  Olive  Seedlings. 

Preliminary  Report  on  Kearney  Vine-  364. 

yard  Experimental  Drain. 

The  Cultivation  of  Belladonna  in  Cali-  365. 

fornia.  366. 

The  Pomegranate. 

Sudan  Grass  367. 

Grain   Sorghums. 

Irrigation  of  Rice  in  California.  368. 

Irrigation  of  Alfalfa  in  the  Sacramento 
Valley.  369. 

The  Olive  Insects  of  California.  370. 

The  Milk  Goat  in  California.  371. 

Bean  Culture  in  California. 

A    Study  of  the   Effects  of   Freezes   on  372. 

Citrus   in    California. 

Plum  Pollination.  373. 

Mariout  Barley.  374. 

Pruning  Young  Deciduous  Fruit  Trees. 

Caprifigs  and  Caprification. 

Storage  of  Perishable  Fruit  at  Freezing  375. 

Temperatures. 

Rice  Irrigation  Measurements  and  Ex-  376. 

periments     in      Sacramento     Valley, 
1914-1919.  377. 

Prune  Growing  in  California.  379. 

Phylloxera-Resistant  Stocks.  380. 

Preliminary  Volume  Tables  for  Second- 
Growth  Redwood.  381. 

Cocoanut  Meal  as  a  Feed  for  Dairy 
Cows  and  Other  Livestock.  382: 

The  Relative  Cost  of  Making  Logs  from 
Small  and  Large  Timber.  383. 

Control  of  the  Pocket  Gopher  in  Cali- 
fornia. 384. 

Cheese  Pests  and  Their  Control. 

Cold  Storage,  as  an  Aid  to  the  Market- 
ing of  Plums.  385. 

Almond  Pollination.  386. 

The  Control  of  Red  Spiders  in  Decidu- 
ous Orchards.  387. 

Pruning  Young  Olive  Trees.  388. 

A  Study  of  Sidedraft  and  Tractor 
Hitches.  389. 

Agriculture  in  Cut-over  Redwood  Lands.  390. 

Further  Experiments  in  Plum  Pollina- 
tion. 391. 

Bovine  Infectious  Abortion. 

Results  of  Rice  Experiments  in   1922.  392. 

A  Self-mixing  Dusting  Machine  for 
Applying  Dry  Insecticides  and 
Fungicides. 


Black  Measles,  Water  Berries,  and 
Related  Vine  Troubles. 

Fruit  Beverage  Investigations. 

Preliminary  Yield  Tables  for  Second 
Growth  Redwood. 

Dust  and  the  Tractor  Engine. 

The  Pruning  of  Citrus  Trees  in  Cali- 
fornia. 

Fungicidal  Dusts  for  the  Control  of 
Bunt. 

Avocado  Cultui'e   in    California. 

Turkish  Tobacco  Culture,  Curing  and 
Marketing. 

Methods  of  Harvesting  and  Irrigation 
in  Relation  to  Mouldy  Walnuts. 

Bacterial  Decomposition  of  Olives  dur- 
ing Pickling. 

Comparison  of  Woods  for  Butter  Boxes. 

Browning  of  Yellow  Newtown  Apples. 

The  Relative  Cost  of  Yarding  Small 
and  Large  Timber. 

The  Cost  of  Producing  Market  Milk  and 
Butterfat  on  246  California  Dairies. 

Pear  Pollination. 

A  Survey  of  Orchard  Practices  in  the 
Citrus  Industry  of  Southern  Cali- 
fornia. 

Results  of  Rice  Experiments  at  Cor- 
tena,    1923. 

Sun-Drying  and  Dehydration  of  Wal- 
nuts. 

The  Cold  Storage  of  Pears. 

Walnut  Culture  in  California. 

Growth  of  Eucalyptus  in  California 
Plantations. 

Growing  and  Handling  Asparagus 
Crowns. 

Pumping  for  Drainage  in  the  San 
Joaquin  Valley,   California. 

Monilia  Blossom  Blight  (Brown  Rot) 
of  Apricot. 

A  Study  of  the  Relative  Values  of  Cer- 
tain Succulent  Feeds  and  Alfalfa  Meal 
as  Sourses  of  Vitamin  A  for  Poultry. 

Pollination  of  the  Sweet  Cherry. 

Pruning  Bearing  Deciduous  Fruit 
Trees. 

Fig  Smut. 

The  Principles  and  Practice  of  Sun- 
drying  Fruit. 

Berseem  or  Egyptian  Clover. 

Harvesting  and  Packing  Grapes  in 
California. 

Machines  for  Coating  Seed  Wheat  with 
Copper   Carbonate   Dust. 

Fruit  Juice  Concentrates. 


CIRCULARS 

No.  No. 

87.   Alfalfa.  154. 
113.   Correspondence  Courses  in  Agriculture. 

117.  The    Selection    and    Cost    of    a    Small  155. 

Pumping   Plant.  157. 

127.   House  Fumigation.  160. 

129.  The  Control  of  Citrus  Insects.  164. 

136.  Alelilotus    indica    as    a    Green-Manure  165. 

Crop  for  California. 

144.    Oidium  or  Powdery  Mildew  of  the  Vine.  166. 

151.  Feeding  and  Management  of  Hogs.  167. 

152.  Some  Observations  on  the  Bulk  Hand-  170. 

ling  of  Grain   in   California. 


Irrigation   Practice   in   Growing   Small 

Fruit  in  California. 
Bovine  Tuberculosis. 
Control  of  the  Pear  Scab. 
Lettuce  Growing  in  California. 
Small  Fruit  Culture  in  California. 
Fundamentals   of   Sugar    Beet   Culture 

under  California  Conditions. 
The  County  Farm  Bureau. 
Feeding  Stuffs  of  Minor  Importance. 
Fertilizing  California  Soils  for  the  1918 

Crop. 


CIRCULARS — {Continued) 


No. 

173.   The    Construction    of    the    Wood-Hoop 
Silo. 

178.  The  Packing  of  Apples  in  California. 

179.  Factors    of    Importance    in    Producing 

Milk  of  Low  Bacterial  Count. 
184.   A  Flock  of  Sheep  on  the  Farm. 
190.  Agriculture  Clubs  in  California. 
199.   Onion  Growing  in  California. 

202.  County   Organizations   for   Rural   Fire 

Control. 

203.  Peat  as  a  Manure  Substitute. 

209.  The  Function  of  the  Farm  Bureau. 

210.  Suggestions  to  the  Settler  in  California. 
212.   Salvaging  Rain-Damaged  Prunes. 

214.  Seed  Treatment  for  the  Prevention  of 

Cereal  Smuts. 

215.  Feeding  Dairy  Cows  in  California. 
217.  Methods   for   Marketing  Vegetables   in 

California. 
220.   Unfermented  Fruit  Juices. 
228.   Vineyard  Irrigation   in  Arid  Climates. 

230.  Testing   Milk,    Cream,    and   Skim   Milk 

for  Butterfat. 

231.  The  Home  Vineyard. 

232.  Harvesting    and    Handling    California 

Cherries  for  Eastern   Shipment. 

233.  Artificial  Incubation. 

234.  Winter  Injury  to  Young  Walnut  Trees 

during  1921-22. 

235.  Soil  Analysis  and  Soil  and  Plant  Inter- 

i*elations. 

236.  The  Common  Hawks  and  Owls  of  Cali- 

fornia   from    the    Standpoint    of    the 
Rancher. 

237.  Directions  for  the  Tanning  and  Dress- 

of  Furs. 

238.  The  Apricot  in  California. 

239.  Harvesting  and  Handling  Apricots  and 

Plums  for  Eastern  Shipment. 

240.  Harvesting    and    Handling    Pears    for 

Eastern   Shipment. 

241.  Harvesting  and  Handling  Peaches- for 

Eastern   Shipment. 

242.  Poultry   Feeding. 

243.  Marmalade  Juice  and  Jelly  Juice  from 

Citrus  Fruits. 

244.  Central  Wire  Bracing  for  Fruit  Trees. 

245.  Vine  Pruning  Systems. 

247.  Colonization  and  Rural  Development. 

248.  Some  Common  Errors  in  Vine  Pruning 

and  Their  Remedies. 

249.  Replacing  Missing  Vines. 

250.  Measurement   of   Irrigation    Water   on 

the  Farm. 

251.  Recommendations  Concerning  the  Com- 

.  mon     Diseases     and     Parasites     of 
Poultry  in  California. 

252.  Supports  for  Vines. 

253.  Vineyard  Plans. 

254.  The  Use  of  Artificial  Light  to  Increase 

Winter  Egg  Production. 

255.  Leguminous  Plants  as  Organic  Fertil- 

izer in   California  Agriculture. 


No. 

256.  The  Control  of  Wild  Morning  Glory. 

257.  The  Small-Seeded  Horse  Bean. 

258.  Thinning  Deciduous  Fruits. 

259.  Pear  By-products. 

260.  A  Selected  List  of  References  Relating 

to  Irrigation  in  California. 

261.  Sewing  Grain   Sacks. 

262.  Cabbage  Growing  in  California. 

263.  Tomato   Production  in   California. 

264.  Preliminary  Essentials  to  BovineTuber- 

culosis  Control. 

265.  Plant  Disease  and  Pest  Control. 

266.  Analyzing  the  Citrus  Orchard  by  Means 

of  Simple  Tree  Records. 

267.  The  Tendency  of  Tractors  to  Rise  in 

Front;  Causes  and  Remedies. 

268.  Inexpensive  Lavor-saving  Poultry  Ap- 

pliances. 

269.  An  Orchard  Brush  Burner. 

270.  A  Farm  Septic  Tank. 

271.  Brooding  Chicks  Artificially. 

272.  California  Farm  Tenancy  and  Methods 

of  Leasing. 

273.  Saving  the  Gophered  Citrus  Tree. 

274.  Fusarium  Wilt  of  Tomato  and  its  Con- 

trol by  Means  of  Resistant  Varieties. 

275.  Marketable        California        Decorative 

Greens. 

276.  Home  Canning. 

277.  Head,    Cane,    and   Cordon   Pruning  of 

Vines. 

278.  Olive  Pickling  in  Mediterranean  Coun- 

tries. 

279.  The  Preparation  and  Refining  of  Olive 

Oil  in  Southern  Europe. 

281.  The  Results  of  a  Survey  to  Determine 

the  Cost  of  Producing  Beef  in  Cali- 
fornia. 

282.  Prevention  of  Insect  Attack  on  Stored 

Grain. 

283.  Fertilizing  Citrus  Trees  in  California. 

284.  The  Almond   in   California. 

285.  Sweet  Potato  Production  in  California. 

286.  Milk    Houses    for    California    Dairies. 

287.  Potato    Production   in    California. 

288.  Phylloxera   Resistant  Vineyards. 

289.  Oak  Fungus  in  Orchard  Trees. 

290.  The  Tangier  Pea. 

291.  Blackhead   and   Other   Causes  of   Loss 

of  Turkeys  in  California. 
292   Alkali  Soils. 

293.  The  Basis  of  Grape  Standardization. 

294.  Propngation  of  Deciduous  Fruits. 

295.  The    Growing   and   Handling  of   Head 

Lettuce  in  California. 

296.  Control     of     the     California     Ground 

Squirrel. 

297.  A  Survey  of  Beekeeping  in  California; 

The  Honeybee  as  a  Pollinizer. 

298.  Tbe    Possibilities    and    Limitations    of 

Cooperative  Marketing. 

299.  Poultry   Breeding   Records. 


The  publications  listed  above  may  be  had  by  addressing 

College  of  Agriculture, 

University  of  California, 

Berkeley,  California. 


20m-ll,'25 


